Research/Creative Work Presentation In International Conferences (Travel Grant)

The Travel Grant Program is one of the financial assistance programs offered by the Office of International Linkages to qualified applicants presenting their research/creative work at international conferences. The program aims to assist the students, faculty members, and UP employees in sharing their works and projects with international audiences and building potential networks for future collaborations.

Eligibility

Enrolled graduate and doctoral students, regular faculty members, REPS, and permanent UP employees who were invited to present their research/creative works abroad are eligible to apply for the grant.

Other considerations:

• Must be at least a co-author of a paper accepted at the international conference. 
• Previous grantees of the Travel Grant can only apply for the grant again under these circumstances:
  • Applicants may apply once a year, provided that their previous travel grant has been properly liquidated.
  • They will be presenting a different study at a different conference.
  • Upon the OIL Director’s approval.
• Applicants who have secured external funding can still apply for the grant provided there will be no duplication of items applied for the financial assistance (e.g. airfare expenses, living allowance, etc.). The Line-Item Budget should only include items the Travel Grant will exclusively fund.
• In cases where the grantee/s received a full scholarship or financial assistance from the organizers or host universities after receiving their Travel Grant, they must return the full amount or the equivalent amount covered by UP.

Grant Coverage

For in-person presentation: Applicants who have been invited or have chosen to present in person abroad are qualified for the following entitlements:

• Pre-travel expenses 
  • Section 11 of E.O. 77 s. 2019 indicated that pre-travel expenses not exceeding Php 3, 500 will be provided to cover miscellaneous expenses such as “transportation expenses, passport processing, medical exam fees, photographs, porterage, airport terminal fees, and other related expenses.”
  • The grantees are not required to liquidate the pre-travel expenses.
• Roundtrip Airfare
  • The grantees are entitled to a roundtrip airfare provided that their itinerary follows the activities of the conference. Any deviation from the purpose of their travel such as extended stay due to personal activities unrelated to their presentation at the conference will result in the removal of the full coverage of their roundtrip airfare.
  • The roundtrip airfare should only include the cost of the basic airfare for an economy-class flight. Add-ons such as extra baggage allowance, rebooking fee, cancellation fee, seat selectors, and other add-ons will not be included. In unforeseen circumstances, rebooking and cancellation fees may be considered provided there are supporting documents and upon the OIL Director’s approval.
  • Section 12 of E.O. 77, s.2019 stipulates that the allowable transportation expenses should be used for economy class and not premium economy or business class.
  • Applicants are expected to provide three (3) airfare quotations for their flights.
• Registration Fee
  • The Travel Grant can only cover the registration or membership fee depending on the nature of the conference and the details on the invitation letter. Additional fees from the conference such as workshop fees, dinner fees, or social event-related fees that are not mandatory and were not indicated in the invitation letter will not be covered.
• Insurance Fee
  • The chosen insurance of the grantee for their travel will be covered.

• Visa Fee
  • The Travel Grant will only cover the visa processing fee. Any other requirements (e.g. biometrics fee, medical exam fees, courier fees, etc.) will fall under the pre-travel expenses.

• Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA)
  • The DSA will be calculated to include the entire period of the conference and may also cover the days before and after the conference covering the travel time to and from the country of destination. 
  • The computation of DSA will be based on Section 14 of the E.O. 77 s. 2019. In cases where the organizers or host universities provide the meals, accommodations, and/or incidental expenses, the DSA will be deducted accordingly.
  • The grantees are not required to liquidate the DSA.

For online presentation: The Grant shall provide financial assistance according to the guidelines stipulated in the 1358th BOR-approved UP Virtual Internationalization Program (UP-VIP) Guidelines of 2021, which includes conference fees, internet subsidy, and proceedings or publication fees. The amount provided will be based on the submitted line-item budget reflecting actual conference costs.