ANOUNCEMENT: As of October 2023, travel grant applications are now reviewed on a quarterly basis with deadlines at the end of March, June, September, and December.
SCOR provides travel support for early-career scientists from low- to medium-income countries to attend ocean science meetings, conferences, workshops, and trainings. Please read the information below and fill out the application form. The impact of the program was highlighted in:
Twigg, E., P. Miloslavich, E.R. Urban Jr., and R. Zitoun. 2025. Enhancing global ocean science networks: The impact of SCOR’s Travel Grant Initiative. Oceanography, https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2025.106.
Who can apply?
Requests for travel support will only be accepted from meeting organizers. Meeting organizers conduct their own selection process for grant recipients.
When are applications due?
Applications are reviewed by the SCOR Capacity Development Committee four times per year with deadlines of 31 March, 30 June, 30 September, and 31 December. Additionally, they should be submitted at least 6 months before the event. Organizers may make a request to the SCOR Secretariat for an urgent review between deadlines (please explain why the application could not be submitted earlier).
Who is eligible to receive a travel grant?
Travel grants are intended for individuals meeting the following criteria:
- Identify as early-career (enrolled as students or up to 10 years post-degree) individuals in ocean science and/or other marine-related topics.
- Delivering an oral presentation or poster at the meeting/conference or participating in a training/workshop.
- Based in an eligible developing country, listed here. Recipients should not be based in the country where the event is held.
- Have not received a SCOR travel grant within the past 2 years.
Information about the selected recipients must be submitted to SCOR by the organizers for approval to ensure the criteria are met before the funds can be transferred. Meeting organizers who expect to select recipients not meeting one of the criteria should contact the SCOR Secretariat (secretariat@scor-int.org) to discuss the potential for an exception.
How much does SCOR provide to meeting organizers?
The SCOR Capacity Development Committee will determine how much an event will be granted. Typically, meetings/conferences/workshops/trainings receive between $3,000-$10,000 USD, depending on SCOR’s budget and the relevance of the event to SCOR’s work. Meeting organizers decide how to distribute this amount amongst one or more recipients, who may receive either full or partial support for their travel (flights and other transportation, accommodation, meals, registration, and/or visa costs). Organizers should describe preliminary plans for how funds may be distributed in their application.
What do we expect from meeting organizers?
- Completed application form and optional cover letter
- Name and affiliation of travel recipients, once selected
- A short post-meeting report, including financial accounting if finances are managed by the organizers
Examples of recent and upcoming meetings supported by SCOR:
- Conference: Ocean Sciences Meeting, 22-27 February 2026, Glasgow, UK
- Conference: 44th International Sea Turtle Society Symposium, 28 February-6 March 2026, Kailua-Kona, USA
- Training: Saroma Sea Ice School, 28 February-9 March 2026, Saroma-Ko Lagoon, Japan
- Training: SOLAS Summer School, 9-27 March 2026, Tamandar, Brazil
- Conference: 5th World Small-Scale Fisheries Congress, 27 April-1 May 2026, Hua Hin, Thailand
- Conference: Sharks International 2026, 4-8 May 2026, Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Conference: Navigating Changes in Small Pelagic Fish and Forage Communities: Climate, Ecosystems, and Sustainable Fisheries, 4-8 May 2026, La Paz, Mexico
- Conference: COSPAR 2026, 1-9 August 2026, Florence, Italy
This program is made possible through grant OCE-2346864 from the U.S. National Science Foundation to SCOR.