To be eligible for a BPTA, you must:

• be a Brown-appointed postdoctoral research associate or fellow whose appointment came through BioMed (as in, you have a current appointment letter signed by Audra Van Wart, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Training and Program Development);
• hold an appointment that will be current at time of travel (you are still eligible if you will be reappointed in the meantime);
• be actively participating in the conference (i.e. presenting a poster/paper or giving a talk);
• have not already received a travel grant in the current fiscal year (each postdoc is limited to one travel grant per fiscal year, which runs from July 1 to June 30);
• submit your BPTA application and obtain our office approval of your application before you travel.

If, after being granted a travel award, your situation changes and you no longer meet these eligibility requirements (for example, if you are not reappointed or you do not end up traveling) you will forfeit the travel award.

Submissions will be reviewed by Dean Van Wart and travel awards will be granted based on 1. the scientific merit of the application, based on the information given in your statement and your mentor’s letter, and 2. the significance of conference attendance to your professional development.

BPTAs will be awarded on a rolling basis, so there are no deadlines. However, we do encourage you to apply early to get the best chance of having your travel funded.

Awards of up to $750 will be issued as reimbursement of eligible expenses after travel has been completed. Acceptable uses for travel grant funds include: airfare/train/bus/car travel, lodging expenses, and conference registration fees. Appropriate receipts will be required.

To apply, please fill out the BioMed Travel Request Form. Prior to completing this request form, please make sure you have worked with your department contact* to obtain appropriate funding worktags/account numbers and other necessary information. 

Please note, you will be required to upload ONE PDF file to the request form that includes the following:  

As a supplement to the basic information outlined above, you will be asked to upload ONE PDF file that includes the following:

• A short statement (~500 words) on the importance of your work and the findings on which you plan to present, as well as how attendance at this conference will benefit you and enhance your training
• A short (one page) letter from your mentor in support of your travel to the conference that includes a mention of the significance of the project and the postdoc’s contribution to it
• A basic budget outlining the estimate of your travel costs and any other funding you expect to receive for this trip (include funds from your PI/mentor or department, other travel awards, fellowship stipend, etc.)
  • Please list all cost centers/grants covering your expenses for Senior Officer Approval.
• A copy of the acceptance of your poster/talk (or a copy of your abstract submission, if you have not yet received confirmation)

*For postdocs in the Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry (MCB), please work with Amy Cohen.

In addition to travel funding for academic conferences, there are also funds available for postdocs who are traveling to actively help recruit potential postdocs to come to Brown for their postdoctoral training. This is a great opportunity to not only promote Brown and its academic programs, but to also enhance your own professional development, networking, and communication skills. Postdocs and Early Career Programs will reimburse up to $650 of eligible travel expenses for trainees who meet the following criteria:

1. Have a current postdoctoral appointment;
2. Get approval from your PI/mentor to travel;
3. Select an interdisciplinary conference that attracts a variety of scholars (examples include ERN, EB, SACNAS, ABRCMS, etc.);
4. Agree to a brief meeting with our office to prepare you before your travel, and be able to field basic questions from potential postdocs;
5. Submit a one-page statement that outlines the reason for your interest in attending this meeting and details specific actions you will take at the meeting to promote the recruitment of prospective postdocs to Brown (include your name, PI/mentor name, and department at the top of the page). These actions could include staffing a table;
6. Agree to submit a post-travel report (under 500 words) that explains what specific actions you took while traveling to support postdoc recruitment and outreach (expense reimbursement will be contingent upon the submission of this post-travel report).

Please submit your proposal to BioMed Postdocs with the subject heading: “Recruitment Travel: First Name Last Name” as early as possible. Please send any questions (for example, whether a certain conference would meet the eligibility requirements) to BioMed Postdocs.