CONFERENCE BURSARIES POLICY

Bursaries will be available to current members only* and preference will be given to research students and those travelling from areas outside the EU e.g. from accession states and developing countries.

The bursary scheme will operate on the basis of the following rules:

1. The scheme is open to current members only*.

2. Preference will be given to those presenting papers at the conference.

3. Preference will then be given to those who might reasonably be expected to find it hard to obtain funding to attend the conference e.g. research students, those at the beginning of their career, those from CEEC and developing countries.

4. Applications should be sent to the Regional Studies Office. Applicants should state:

• the reasons for their application (e.g. cost implications of travelling to the conference, student status, statement of being in the early stage of their career or other circumstances);
• avenues they have explored elsewhere to obtain funding (ie for travel and subsistence);
• name of their institution, department, and where they will be travelling from;
• title of the paper they will be giving (or state specific interests in the conference theme);

5. Decisions will be made by the Conference Bursary Committee and their decision will be final. No correspondence will be entered into.

6. Failure to attend: The bursary scheme will prove popular and as places are limited many people will be disappointed. To ensure attendance at the event, we require a credit card to secure the free place. If you attend the credit or debit card or equivalent post-dated cheque will not be charged. If you fail to attend without notice in writing 3 weeks prior to the event, the card will be charged for the full conference fee or the cheque cashed.

7. Contract: We will ask you to read and sign a bursary contract stating the terms and conditions of the bursary and the charge to a credit card if you fail to attend. Upon receipt of this signed contract, we will confirm your bursary place.

* Membership can be deducted from the value of the bursary (ie. they pay us the student or individual membership fee - at the reduced rate for joining at the event - and we then give them a free place). If membership is impossible to claim back from their institution, then we can invoice them at a reduced conference fee of say £63)

NB: It was also agreed that all recipients of bursaries would be listed in Regions along with their paper titles. The bursary committee would consist of the Chair, Treasurer, Chief Executive and local organiser.