The application deadline for this opportunity has passed. You can still review the details, but the listing is no longer presented as open for applications.
Grant
ACU Early Career Conference Grants 2026
Offered by Association of Commonwealth Universities
Education, Health & Medical Sciences, Agriculture & Agricultural Sciences, Arts & Humanities, Engineering, Social Sciences
Application deadline
October 13, 2026
Application Closed
About This Grant
The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) Early Career Conference Grants provide financial support for emerging researchers and academics at ACU member universities to participate in academic conferences in other Commonwealth countries.
The scheme is designed to help early-career academics gain international research experience by presenting their work, engaging with researchers from other institutions and learning about developments in their fields. Rather than providing general research funding, the grant is specifically intended to help eligible university staff participate in an appropriate conference where they have an active role.
For the 2026/27 round, seven grants of up to £2,000 are available. The funding can contribute towards conference registration, flights, accommodation, visa costs, and travel and health insurance.
The conference must take place between January 2027 and January 2028 in a Commonwealth country outside the applicant's country of work. Applicants must also be actively participating in the conference by chairing a session, presenting a paper or presenting a poster.
Who Can Apply
Applicants must be early-career researchers or academics employed at an ACU member university.
The ACU defines an early-career researcher/academic for this grant as someone within seven years of the start of their academic career. The calculation allows for eligible career breaks, including periods away from employment for personal or professional reasons such as caring responsibilities.
Applicants must therefore be employed by an ACU member university. Being a PhD student or postdoctoral researcher by itself is not sufficient; the applicant must hold an eligible academic or research position at an ACU member university.
Important Eligibility Conditions
Applicants must:
Be employed as an early-career researcher or academic at an ACU member university.
Be within seven years of the start of their academic career, subject to the scheme's provisions for career breaks.
Identify an eligible academic conference taking place between January 2027 and January 2028.
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Choose a conference held in a Commonwealth country outside their country of work.
Be chairing a session, presenting a paper or presenting a poster at the proposed conference.
Demonstrate a clear connection between the conference and their research interests.
Explain how participation will contribute to their career and professional development.
Explain how they intend to share knowledge gained from the conference with colleagues or their wider academic community.
Relate their research to one or more relevant United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Obtain detailed support from their Head of Department.
Provide the required conference and cost information.
Submit the application before the stated deadline.
Applicants who have previously travelled outside their region of employment for work purposes, including attending conferences, are not eligible for this particular grant. Previous recipients of an ACU Early Career Conference Grant, formerly known as the Early Career Academic Grants, are also ineligible to apply again.
Who Is Not Eligible
The grant is not a general conference bursary for students or researchers at any institution.
PhD students who are not employed as early-career researchers or academics at an ACU member university are not eligible.
Applicants cannot use the grant to attend a conference outside the Commonwealth. The conference must take place in a Commonwealth country other than the applicant's country of work.
Applicants who have already received an ACU Early Career Conference Grant cannot receive the same grant again.
Applicants who have previously travelled outside their region of employment for work purposes since the beginning of their academic career are also excluded under the current rules.
What the Grant Covers
Each successful applicant can receive a maximum of £2,000.
The grant may be used for eligible costs associated with attending the approved conference, including:
Conference registration fees.
Flights.
Accommodation.
Visa costs.
Travel insurance.
Health insurance.
For an in-person conference, applicants must provide a breakdown of the costs for which they are requesting funding.
Conference Requirements
The proposed conference should be clearly connected to the applicant's research interests and must take place in a Commonwealth country outside the applicant's country of work.
Applicants must have an active role at the conference. Eligible forms of participation include:
Chairing a conference session.
Presenting a research paper.
Presenting a research poster.
Simply attending a conference without presenting or chairing a session does not meet the current participation requirement.
For hybrid conferences, applicants must specify whether they intend to participate in person or virtually. The grant is designed around conference participation outside the applicant's country of work, so applicants should carefully review the current guidance when selecting a hybrid event.
What Applicants Need to Explain
The application asks applicants to provide information about the proposed conference and their research.
Applicants should explain:
Why they have selected the particular conference.
How the conference connects with their research interests.
What research they will present.
How participating will benefit their career and professional development.
How they will share knowledge gained from the conference.
Which Sustainable Development Goal or Goals are most closely related to their research.
How their research contributes to the selected Sustainable Development Goal(s).
The application therefore goes beyond simply demonstrating that the applicant needs financial assistance. It should establish a clear relationship between the research, the conference and the applicant's academic development.
Supporting Documentation
Applicants are required to provide details of their chosen conference, including a copy of their conference abstract.
A detailed letter or email of support from the applicant's Head of Department is also required. The supporting statement should comment on the suitability of the selected conference and explain how participation would benefit the applicant.
Applicants seeking funding for an in-person conference must also provide a detailed breakdown of the costs for which they are requesting support.
Academic and Professional Benefits
Conference participation can allow early-career academics to present their research to researchers beyond their home institution and receive feedback on their work.
It can also provide exposure to recent developments in a research field and create opportunities to interact with academics working on related questions.
For researchers at the beginning of their academic careers, these interactions can help them develop professional networks and become more familiar with international research communities.
The ACU also asks successful applicants to consider how they will share knowledge gained through conference participation. This creates an opportunity for the benefit of the grant to extend beyond the individual researcher to colleagues, students and the wider university community.
Application Process
Applicants should:
Confirm that their university is an ACU member.
Confirm that they meet the early-career definition.
Confirm that they have not previously travelled outside their region of employment for work purposes.
Confirm that they have not previously received an ACU Early Career Conference Grant.
Identify an eligible conference in another Commonwealth country.
Confirm that the conference takes place between January 2027 and January 2028.
Secure a role as a session chair, paper presenter or poster presenter.
Obtain or prepare the conference abstract.
Prepare an explanation of the conference's relevance to their research.
Explain the expected career and professional-development benefits.
Identify the relevant Sustainable Development Goal(s).
Obtain a detailed letter or email of support from the Head of Department.
Prepare the required cost breakdown if attending in person.
Complete the ACU online application form.
Submit the application before the closing time.
Applicants with an existing MyACU account can access the application through their account. Those without an account need to register before accessing the application form.
Funding and Selection
Seven grants are available in the 2026/27 round, with a maximum value of £2,000 per grant.
The ACU will assess applications against the requirements of the scheme. Meeting the basic eligibility requirements does not automatically guarantee an award.
Successful awardees are required to complete a report after the grant-supported activity has been completed.
Important Information for Applicants
This opportunity is intended for university-employed early-career researchers and academics rather than students generally.
The most important eligibility distinction is that a PhD student must also be employed as an eligible early-career researcher or academic at an ACU member university.
The conference must be held in a Commonwealth country outside the applicant's country of work, and the applicant must have an active conference role through presenting a paper, presenting a poster or chairing a session.
Applicants should also note that the grant is specifically designed to help researchers who have not previously travelled outside their region of employment for work purposes. This is an important feature of the scheme and should be checked carefully before applying.
Application Deadline
13 October 2026 at 15:00 UTC
Maximum Award
£2,000
Number of Awards
7 grants
Conference Period
January 2027 to January 2028
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