Youth Travel Fund (YTF) Guidelines

Information for Course Organizers and YTF applicants

As part of their application to the FEBS Advanced Courses programme, organizers of lecture courses, practical courses and workshops can apply for YTF grants to support participation of PhD students and young postdoctoral scientists in their event. These grants may be a maximum of 800 EUR per person and are to be used as a full (or, in exceptional circumstances, partial) covering of the registration fee (including accommodation and meals). They may also support travel costs.

Following the allocation of a set sum for YTF grants by FEBS, the organizer should select candidates on merit, bearing in mind the eligibility criteria set by FEBS (see below). The application procedure for FEBS YTF grants and a link to this page of FEBS eligibility criteria should be presented on the course website. The YTF applicants should send their completed applications together with documented proof of their eligibility and a recommendation letter from the current or previous supervisor (if applicable) to the organizer by the deadline announced.

The selected candidates will receive a FEBS Treasury YTF form, to be returned to the FEBS Treasury for approval at least 8 weeks before the event's start date.

Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria for YTF awards are as follows, and only in exceptional circumstances may any of these conditions be waived.

For YTF awardees from the FEBS area:

• The applicant normally should be not older than 35, and should be registered as a PhD student or should be a postdoctoral scientist within five years of having completed a PhD thesis (however, duly justified career breaks such as compulsory national service and parental leave may be considered); 
• The applicant should be registered as a PhD student at an institute of higher learning in a country where there is a FEBS Constituent Society or should be a postdoctoral scientist working in a country where there is a FEBS Constituent Society (for FEBS Constituent Societies, see the Our Members section of the website);
• The applicant must be a member of a FEBS Constituent Society and provide a valid certificate of membership;
• The applicant should not have received a grant from the Youth Travel Fund to attend a FEBS Course / Workshop in the current year or previous year, nor a Bursary to attend the FEBS Congress in the current year, nor a grant to attend the FEBS Young Scientists’ Forum in the current year;
• The applicant cannot be a resident of the country hosting the event;
• For awards with travel funding, only travel within the FEBS area from the applicant’s current country of residence to the country hosting the FEBS event is supported;
• Young scientists from the Organizers’ laboratories are not eligible for FEBS YTF awards.
  
  Please note that the number of meeting travel awards you have previously received from FEBS (FEBS Congress Bursary, FEBS YSF grant, and FEBS YTF award for FEBS Advanced Course) may also be taken into consideration in your selection.

For YTF awardees from outside the FEBS area:

Transcontinental YTF awards may be offered by some FEBS Advanced Courses as a result of support from IUBMB for participation of scientists from outside the FEBS area in these events.

• The applicant should not be older than 35, should be registered as a PhD student at an institute of higher learning in a country where there is an IUBMB-adhering body but not a FEBS Constituent Society, or should be a postdoctoral scientist within five years of having completed a PhD thesis, working in a country where there is an IUBMB-adhering body but not a FEBS Constituent Society;
• The applicant must be a member of an IUBMB-related society and provide a valid certificate of membership;
• The applicant should not have received a grant from the Youth Travel Fund to attend a FEBS Course / Workshop in the current year or previous year, nor a Bursary to attend the FEBS Congress in the current year, nor a grant to attend the FEBS Young Scientists’ Forum in the current year;
• Awards will only be made to support travel from the applicant’s current country of residence to the country hosting the FEBS event;
• Young scientists from the Organizers’ laboratories are not eligible for FEBS YTF awards.