Travel Grants

These grants provide funding for researchers to travel to or from the UK, to attend conferences, workshops or short courses. They can also provide funding for travel to partner institutions to develop international collaborative links. Different schemes have different requirements and eligibility criteria, and provide different levels of funding with different restrictions; some will cover all costs, including the registration fees and travel costs; some only a part of the costs. The purpose of a travel grant is to enhance research capabilities of individual scientists and develop collaborative links. Whether you are a UK based researcher wanting to travel abroad, or an overseas researcher wanting to come to the UK, the list below shows the major organisations active in the UK which offer funding for international research at postdoctoral level or above. Click on the highlighted text to visit the relevant websites for further details.

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
The BBSRC is a non-departmental public body and aims promote high-quality basic, strategic and applied research relating to the understanding of biological systems. International Scientific Interchange Scheme (ISIS) helps scientists add an international dimension to their BBSRC funded research.

Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
EPSRC are the main UK government agency for research and training in the engineering and physical sciences. Overseas travel grants provide funding for international travel and subsistence so that researchers can visit non-UK centres to study new techniques.

Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
The ESRC funds research and training in social and economic issues and are an independent organisation. Their small grants scheme welcomes applications for travel expenses only.

Royal Society
The Royal Society is the leading independent scientific body of the UK and the Commonwealth. Funded research has to be within the natural sciences. Their International Travel Grants scheme allows applicants to apply for either Conference Participation or International Collaboration. The scheme aims to support international collaborations and the participation of UK based scientists in overseas conferences.

British Academy (BA)
The British Academy is the national academy for the humanities and the social sciences and is responsible for the promotion of historical, philosophical and philological studies in the UK. It provides overseas conference grants to cover the travel expenses of a scholar delivering a paper at a conference abroad.

Wellcome Trust
The Trust is an independent charity funding research to improve human and animal health. It awards Developing Countries Research Travel Grants to enable biomedical ethics researchers based in developing or restructuring countries to meet with prospective collaborators within their own country or another country to discuss ideas for biomedical ethics research collaborations. Flexible Travel awards provide opportunities for mobility and collaboration, and enable successful scientists to obtain experience in new disciplines.

Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng)
The RAEng is Britain’s national academy for engineering. Their International Travel Grants Scheme is intended to help Engineering Researchers in the UK make study visits overseas for a short period of time with a view to establishing ongoing collaboration. Their Global Research Award scheme is intended to help Engineering Researchers employed in the UK to travel and work overseas.

The Academy of Medical Sciences
The Academy of Medical Sciences is a registered charity. It promotes advances in medical science and campaigns to ensure these are translated into health care benefits for society. Their UK/Middle East Travel Fellowship scheme developed in partnership with the Daniel Turnberg Trust Fund provides opportunities for short-term exchange of medical researchers between the UK and  the Middle East, offering researchers the chance to gain further research experience, learn new techniques and foster scientific collaboration.

The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE)
The RSE is an independent and non-party-political, educational charity, registered in Scotland. It’s International Bilateral and Open Exchange Programmes, encourage and support research collaboration between Scottish and overseas research groups.

Rosetrees Trust

Rosetrees is a private foundation that provides grant funding for medical and science researchers whether established or young and promising with the potential to become future leaders in their field and achieve extraordinary improvements in human health. Rosetrees provides flexible grant funding as well as medical research travel grants for researchers to spend a short period of time in a laboratory/research institution abroad to further their research, foster new ideas and work collaboratively

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