ISME 16

Scholar Program

Supporting Early Career Scientist visiting laboratories in other countries

Scholar Fund

The International Society for Microbial Ecology would like to contribute to the advancement of the field of microbial ecology by providing financial support to Early Career Scientists. The Scholar Fund provides MSc and PhD students, as well as Postdoctoral fellows, the opportunity to further develop their academic knowledge and skills at hosting Institutions. For example, the fund can be used to cover travel, accommodation, and subsistence costs when visiting laboratories abroad. Especially, applicants from regions outside North America or Europe are encouraged to apply.

What types of activities will the Scholar Fund support?

  • Attending research training
  • Initiating new collaborative research projects
  • Preparing joint research grant applications
  • Organizing and delivering small workshops or training courses in Microbial Ecology
  • Writing collaborative reviews for the ISME journals

Are you eligible?
Applicants need to be:

  • An ISME member
  • An MSc/PhD student or Postdoctoral fellow
  • Active in the field of microbial ecology

What can the funds be used for?

  • Travel expenses: economy class flights and public transport (train and bus) only
  • Accommodation and subsistence expenses for up to one month
  • Chemicals and materials to conduct lab work (but not bench fees or publication costs)

Maximum awards for this funding scheme will be 5,000 Euros but typically awards are between 2,000 and 3,000 Euros.

A full application consists of:

  • A completed Funding request form
  • A one-page description of the activity
  • A draft budget, including screenshots of the expected costs where possible
  • A letter from the host confirming their support for your activity

There is no set deadline for this funding program but applicants should ensure that they submit their application at least four months before the date of their activity.

Only full applications will be assessed.

Please note the Scholar Fund cannot be used to attend the ISME bi-annual symposium. The ISME Travel Grant has been established to support delegates to attend the ISME Symposia.