ISCB recognizes that many of our members have personal care responsibilities that can present a challenge to attending scientific conferences, and hence interfere with career advancement. We also recognize that you know best how to care for your own dependents and what their needs are.
Accordingly, ISCB offers Dependent Care grants in the amount of $600 USD to as many eligible candidates as allowed by available funding to be used towards expenses that will facilitate the member’s attendance.
Key Dates
Candidate eligibility
- Be an ISCB member in good standing (active membership at the time of the application and during the conference).
- Have a submission accepted for presentation in which the candidate is the presenting author. Any presentation is eligible, but priority will be given to members presenting talks.
- Be a primary caregiver (the one that cares more than 50% of the time) of a child or dependent adult at the time of the conference
- Alternatively, the award can be used if the member needs caregiving assistance during the conference
- Priority will be given to applicants who have a demonstrated need and/or are in early stages of their academic careers (e.g., graduate students, postdocs), as well as ISCB members working in non-high-income countries.
Eligible expenses include (but are not limited to) providing airfare for your child or for a caregiver to accompany you and attend functions with you if needed, costs for childcare at home while you are away (be it professionally provided or costs related to having a relative fly to provide care), or extra help paying for on-site care. Awardees can spend this money as they think best.
Applicants will be asked to provide
- Career stage (undergraduate student/graduate student/postdoctoral researcher/non-tenured faculty/tenured faculty/unemployed).
- Age of dependents, if applicable.
- Description of role as caregiver for a dependent adult, child, or relative; or needs for personal assistance.
- A brief justification of the need for this award and how the award will be used (300 words max).
Payments will be sent promptly following the completion of the meeting after the awardee submits proof of attendance.
Submission deadline: May 22, 2026
Notifications will be sent by May 29, 2026
