Who can apply?

• Although, grants are open to organisers of seminars, funding will generally be limited to one grant per series. An exception may be made for a new, exciting, and more innovative proposal within the same series.
• Grants cannot be awarded retrospectively, and funding decisions are made in line with the dates detailed below.
• The individual who completes the funding application must be a member of the organising group for the event.
• Applications from professional fundraisers and conference agencies are generally not considered.
• Although there is no restriction on nationality, we are unable to pay awards to recipients in jurisdictions, countries, or regions of the world subject to sanctions, embargoes or other political trade restrictions put in place by the United Nations, the EU, or the UK.
• Whilst the quality of science remains paramount, we prefer to support events where organisers have sought maximal feasible diversity in speakers in terms of geography, gender, and age. In addition, where attendance at events is selective, we would also expect such points to be influential. We invite applicants to make a statement on these issues in their funding application.

We also offer Small Meeting Grants of up to £400 to cover the cost of running a small meeting with a maximum budget of £1,000.

What is the application process?

• You can apply for a Scientific Meeting Grant and/or a grant from our Fund for Innovations in Sustainable Conferencing using our online grant application system. Please note:
  • The same application form is used for both grants.
  • The application and supporting documents must be in English.
  • Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
• Following an initial evaluation by our Grants and Sustainability Committees, a shortlist for funding is submitted to the Board of Directors for approval.
• Shortlisted applicants will be informed of the outcome of their funding request in line with the dates detailed below.
• Successful applicants will be required to sign our Grant Agreement and provide bank details to enable funds to be electronically transferred.

Application deadlines

Application deadlines in 2024 and 2025 are as follows:

• 8 November 2024 (decision w/c 20 January 2025)
• 7 March 2025 (decision w/c 12 May 2025)
• 16 May 2025 (decision w/c 14 July 2025)
• 1 August 2025 (decision w/c 6 October 2025)
• 7 November 2025 (decision w/c 19 January 2026)

Exclusions

Please click on the links below to see the exclusions for each type of grant:

• Scientific Meeting Grants
• Fund for Innovations in Sustainable Conferencing Grants

What are the terms and conditions?

• If you wish to accept a grant, you will be required to sign a Grant Agreement. The terms of this Agreement are non-negotiable and if you are unable to accept the terms offered, we will consider your request for funding withdrawn.
• Funds will be paid direct into a bank account in the name of your institution or meeting. We are unable to make transfers into an individual’s personal bank account.
• We require you to acknowledge receipt of grant funds.
• Awarded funds must be returned in full if for any reason the event is not held.
• Grant funds can only be used to support the event specified in the original application.
• As this funding is a grant and not sponsorship, we will not accept an invoice.
• Acknowledgements:
  • We ask that you to acknowledge our contribution to your event on your website and in any printed material circulated about the event. This should include our company name ‘The Company of Biologists’, our company logo and our web address (biologists.com).
  • If you have been awarded a grant from our Fund for Innovations in Sustainable Conferencing, you will be required to publish a brief statement on the event website describing how you will use our funding to make your meeting more sustainable, including any planned innovations that will help others to run more sustainable meetings.
• Reports:
  • Successful applicants will be required to provide a short report within three months of the event taking place.
  • If you have been awarded a grant from our Fund for Innovations in Sustainable Conferencing, reports should include feedback about the tools used/support provided, describing what did and did not work, value for money and any ideas for future improvement. They should also include details of how the grant was acknowledged and, where possible, feedback from delegates.
  • We may use material from your report on our website, in social media, and in other promotional materials. If you have any concerns about the use of your material, please let us know in advance.
  • Your report will be retained for at least seven years and may be inspected by the Charity Commission.