Grants FAQs

Have a question about grants? Click the expandable menu below for the answers to some frequently asked questions. 

Before applying 

What grants do you offer?

The Microbiology Society offers a range of grants to support our members’ professional development. These can help members attending scientific or career development conferences, training courses, hosting a summer student, visiting a collaborator, undertaking an outreach project or contributing to the development of microbiology in low-income countries and more. You can find out the grants on offer by visiting our main grants page.

Do you have any examples of successful grants?

Please see the previous grant recipients page for details. You can also find details of previous projects on our blog.

Can I apply for a grant?

A full list of grants, their eligibility criteria and deadline dates for applying can be found on the Grants section of our website. If you have specific questions about grant applications, please contact the Grants Office.

Is there a minimum membership period for Microbiology Society grants?

For other grants, there is a minimum membership period of one year (or two consecutive membership payments) before becoming eligible to apply. This minimum membership period relates to the deadline you are applying for, and not the date of the event or project for which you are seeking funding. You can find out specific details regarding minimum membership periods on each grant scheme’s individual page.

Applying for a grant 

How do I apply for a grant?

You can find information on how to apply on each grant page. The information needed varies between schemes. When a grant scheme is open for application, a button will appear on its page. Members should login to apply, and if you belong to an eligible membership category, you will be able to proceed. Please note, each application is subject to further eligibility checks, for example to check you fulfil the minimum membership criteria. You will be able to save your progress when applying, but please ensure you submit the application before the deadline which is advertised on each page.

What should I include in my application?

When you click on the button to apply for your chosen grant, the application form will take you through everything you need to tell us. The information required for each grant scheme varies. You can find a list of questions on each grant page. Please read each question thoroughly as this will help you to provide all of the information required, and will reduce the processing time for your application – enabling us to send it out for review as quickly as possible.

Can I leave the application and come back to it?

Yes, you are able to save your progress as you go, as long as you complete your application before the advertised deadline. While you are able to save your progress in the online form, we recommend that you copy the questions into a document to work on offline and then enter your answers to each question on the online form when you are happy with them.

Do you share the judging criteria for grant applications?

Yes – the criteria we consider for each grant can be found on each individual grant page.

May I apply for a Travel Grant before my abstract is accepted

Yes – and we encourage this. If you are successful, you’ll be given a ‘conditional’ award and so will need evidence that your abstract is accepted to claim the funds.

May I apply for a grant after I’ve attended an event or started a project?

No, we do not fund retrospective applications. Your application should be for a unique project that has a defined timeline.

Do you accept applications for projects that have received funding from other organisations?

Yes! Please make sure you tell us where you have received funding from, and where else you have applied for funding. We acknowledge that some ambitious projects will require members to approach multiple organisations for support; our grants are intended as a contribution of support for our members’ professional development.

Do you accept late applications?

We are unable to accept late applications, and queries to this effect slow down our grant processing times. The grant deadlines are advertised in advance on the website, Twitter and in our newsletter, so keep an eye out for upcoming dates on those channels. If you start an application before a deadline please ensure you submit it before the deadline closes so that your application is not lost.

When can I expect to hear about my application?

You should receive an automatic acknowledgement of receipt of your application within 48 hours of submitting it. We won’t contact you until you receive notification of the outcome of your application, unless we need further information to consider your application for funding.

For Research Visit Grants, Education and Outreach Grants, Harry Smith Vacation Studentships and International Development Fund applications, please expect to be notified of the outcome within ten weeks of the closing date.

For all other programmes, you will be notified within six weeks of the closing date.

What makes a good grant application?

Knowing how to write a strong grant application can be difficult. For tips and advice on what makes a good grant application, read our blog post 'What makes a good grant application?'

After a grant award is made 

How do I claim my grant?

Please login to Mi Society, and upload evidence of your claim (this can be receipts or invoices, and evidence of your attendance) when you complete the grant claim form.

I am trying to make a claim against my grant but there’s no box for an account number or sort code.

The boxes for relevant bank details will appear when you put the country of your bank account in the form.

When will the funds reach my account?

For accounts in the UK, funds will be transferred into the nominated bank account within a month of receiving a complete and accurate claim.

For accounts outside of the UK, funds will be transferred into the nominated bank account within six weeks of your payment letter.

Incorrect payment details will delay processing of the payment, therefore please ensure you have entered your details correctly.

What if I need funding for something not in my original application?

If your project or event details have changed, please contact the Grants Office at your earliest convenience. We can accommodate some changes to your funded project but the earlier we know the better. It is a condition of some grants to notify us as soon as something changes – we reserve the right to withdraw funding if a project changes significantly.

What should I include in my project report?

You will receive a brief outline of what you should include in your report in your offer email. We want to know how the grant has benefited your professional development, and how it has contributed to microbiology. If you have any questions, or have lost your offer email, please contact the Grants Office.

General questions

How much does each grant offer?

The amount awarded to individual successful applicants varies according to their needs. Each grant page details the upper limit that members can apply for from the scheme.

When are the grant deadlines?

There are several grant deadlines throughout the year. You can find out the deadline for each grant from its grant page, and the deadlines are advertised in the Society’s membership magazine Microbiology Today, the newsletter and social media channels.

What is the success rate of applications?

This varies across the programme; please see individual grant pages for further information.

Do you offer grants for caring costs?

Yes – members who need support for their caring needs when attending a Society event can apply for a Society Conference Grant. Up to £500 can be awarded to cover the costs of their caring needs – for example (but not limited to), bringing a carer with them to the conference, for additional childcare costs, or to attend the conference while on maternity/paternity leave.

How can I review Society grant applications?

Reviewing Society grants can be a great way to improve your own grant writing and also offers the chance to contribute to the professional development of other members. If you are interested in becoming a Microbiology Society grants reviewer, please contact the Grants Office to register your interest.

What if I have a question that is not covered in the FAQs?

If you have another question that is not answered on this page, please contact the Grants Office via email or telephone (020 7685 2698).