Funding for travel grants, research expenses, language training, workshops and seminars

1. Research and conference travel

The following research and conference travel expenses can be claimed by completing an expense form (staff: via the online expenses hub, students: via expense form) and uploading or attaching the relevant receipts.

Staff

UTOs and Teaching Associates can apply for up to £3k p.a. for reasonable research and academic travel expenses. Quote 'HoD discretionary fund' in the comments field in the expenses form. 

Research Staff: Funding for research and conference travel for research staff should be included in their project grants. Those on 'salary only' grants will be treated as Teaching Associates.

Professional Services Staff can apply for funds to attend training events and conferences relevant to their continuing professional development within their role. Plans should be discussed with the Departmental Administrator in advance.

Postgraduate students

PhD students can apply for £300 per year for travel to attend conferences where they are giving a paper.

They can also apply for travel or research expenses of up to £300 a year from the John Forrester and Lisa Appignanesi Travel and Research Expenses Fund to help with the cost of conducting research on their thesis.

Funding for conference attendance/research expenses and/or travel is sometimes available through Colleges, so students should check with their College before applying and confirm that they have done this when making their request.

Please send an email to the Department Administrator (administrator@hps.cam.ac.uk) in advance of any financial commitments being made to ask for permission to use the Department funds. Once you have received confirmation you can claim reimbursement by submitting an expenses claim form with receipts. All claims should be submitted to the Departmental Administrator by 31 July of each academic year.

We expect students to consider the University's guidelines for Sustainable Business Travel when planning conference and research trips.

In exceptional circumstances this funding can be extended to MPhil students, but permission must be sought from the Departmental Administrator.

2. Language training

Department: Groups such as Latin/Greek/German therapy have a budget for the language tutor established at outset by the Williamson, Rausing and Lipton Trust Fund Managers.  The current practice allows for payment of a tutor at 'Class' teaching rates only if there is an established regular participation of 6+ people.

Language Centre: CULP offers a range of courses to staff and students. The School of Humanities and Social Sciences supports the cost of these courses (for postgraduate students) via its Researcher Development programme. Applications are considered twice a year at the start of October and January. Notices are circulated by email in advance of the deadline.

3. Seminars, workshops and conferences

The Departmental Seminar has a formal budget agreed by the Executive Committee (currently £2,500 per year) which pays for travel and subsistence for external speakers as well as modest dining costs. The managers of the Williamson, Rausing and Lipton Funds allocate funds on an annual basis for other seminars, workshops and conferences run in Cambridge and organised or sponsored by academic staff (e.g. Cabinet of Natural History, History of Medicine, CamPoS). The funds provide grants of £100–£800 p.a. to support travel and subsistence costs of external speakers. Applications should be made by 24 June for use in the following academic year. Reading groups are expected to be cost free.

4. Other sources of funding

Cambridge Humanities Research Grants and Isaac Newton Trust Small Grants Scheme offer grants to staff of between £1,000 and £20,000. There are two rounds a year with deadlines in early January and early October. Notices are circulated by email in advance of the deadline.

CRASSH offers funding of up to £2,500 to run conferences. It also offers research leave awards and visiting fellowships:

Colleges: Most Colleges have some funds for their Fellows, Students and Directors of Studies. These may cover research, travel, entertainment, books and equipment but vary from College to College, so please check what is available.

British Academy/Leverhulme offer small research grants of up to £10,000 to support research expenses arising from defined projects:

Royal Society provides grants of up to £15,000 to support research in the history of science or assist with publication costs of early career researchers:

Wellcome Trust Small Grants: Grants of up to £5,000 can be made to established academic staff to support personal research expenses, overseas visits, and conferences.

University Foreign Travel Fund (FTF): The Foreign Travel Fund is for resident members of the Senate aged at least 50 years who wish to travel abroad, with a view of extending their knowledge in any branch of learning with which their teaching or research is concerned. Applications for grants should be submitted to the Education, Quality & Policy Office before the proposed expenditure is incurred, with an estimate of the amount and any other information. Awards will be made on a gathered field basis three times per year, at the division of Michaelmas, Lent and Easter Terms. Allocations will be made to applicants at the division of each term, based on the amount of funding requested at each division, which will be reduced proportionately as necessary.

Notes

  • All expenditure must comply with the Department's financial policy.
  • Reimbursement can only be made upon receipt of an expenses form including original receipts.
  • Research assistants must be employed by the University (not by an individual academic) and paid at approved rates. We recommend using the Temporary Employment Service.
  • Employees and students are eligible for University travel insurance.