The ACU Early Career Conference · London, United Kingdom
Applications are now open for the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) Early Career Conference Grants 2026 to 2027, a funding opportunity designed to help emerging researchers and academics attend and participate in international conferences in Commonwealth countries outside their country of work.
The grants are intended to support early career academic staff who may not yet have had the opportunity to participate in an international conference. Through the funding, successful applicants can attend an eligible in person conference, present their research, develop professional connections and gain exposure to new developments in their academic field.
The ACU is offering seven grants for the 2026 to 2027 cycle, with each grant worth up to GBP 2,000. The funding can support eligible costs including conference registration, flights, accommodation, visa costs, travel insurance and health insurance.
The ACU Early Career Conference Grants help emerging researchers benefit from the academic and professional opportunities provided by international conferences.
For early career academics, conferences can provide an important platform for sharing research, receiving feedback, learning about developments in their discipline and building professional networks. The experience can also help researchers bring new knowledge and ideas back to their universities and share them with colleagues and students.
The grant is particularly designed for researchers who have not previously travelled outside their region of employment for work purposes since beginning their academic career. This requirement reflects the aim of providing international conference opportunities to researchers who may have had limited access to them.
Successful applicants will receive funding of up to GBP 2,000 to support eligible conference related expenses.
The grant can be used for:
• Conference registration fees.
• International or other eligible flights.
• Accommodation.
• Visa costs.
• Travel insurance.
• Health insurance.
• Participation in an eligible conference in another Commonwealth country.
• Professional networking and research presentation opportunities.
The Early Career Conference Grants are open to researchers across academic disciplines, provided the proposed conference and research activity meet the programme requirements.
Applicants can use the grant to participate in conferences where they will:
• Chair an academic session.
• Present a research paper.
• Present a research poster.
• Share research findings with an international academic audience.
• Develop professional connections with researchers and academics from other Commonwealth countries.
• Gain knowledge that can contribute to their teaching, research and wider academic work.
The proposed conference must take place between February 2027 and January 2028.
To be eligible for the ACU Early Career Conference Grants 2026 to 2027, applicants must:
• Be an early career researcher or academic employed at an ACU member university.
• Be within seven years of the start of their academic research or teaching career.
• Have career breaks taken for personal or professional reasons excluded when determining the seven year period.
• Identify a conference taking place between February 2027 and January 2028.
• 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 that the conference is relevant to their research interests and professional development.
Applicants cannot:
• Have previously travelled for work purposes, including conferences, outside their region of employment since the beginning of their academic career.
• Have previously received an ACU Early Career Conference Grant, formerly known as an Early Career Academic Grant.
Applicants will need to provide information about their proposed conference and explain why participation would be valuable to their research and career.
The application requires:
• Details of the chosen conference.
• A copy of the conference abstract.
• Information confirming whether the conference is virtual or in person.
• An explanation of why the applicant has selected the conference.
• An explanation of how the conference connects with the applicant's research interests.
• An explanation of how participation will benefit the applicant's career and professional development.
• An explanation of how knowledge gained at the conference will be shared with colleagues and others.
• The Sustainable Development Goal or Goals most closely connected to the applicant's research.
• An explanation of how the applicant's research can contribute to the selected Sustainable Development Goals.
• A detailed letter or email of support from the applicant's head of department.
• A breakdown of costs for which funding is requested when applying for an in person conference.
Applications will be assessed based on the suitability of the proposed conference and the value it is expected to provide to the applicant's research and professional development.
Applicants should demonstrate:
• A clear connection between the proposed conference and their research interests.
• The relevance of conference participation to their academic career development.
• A meaningful opportunity to present or contribute to the conference.
• Potential to share knowledge gained through the conference with colleagues and students.
• A clear relationship between their research and relevant Sustainable Development Goals.
• Strong departmental support for their participation.
• A suitable and realistic budget for the expenses being requested.
London, United Kingdom
The ACU Early Career Conference
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