Networking & Professional Skills’ Training Bursary – to travel to labs of an ISDCI member, gain new skills and network

What to apply for 

1. • PhD/post-doc from an ISDCI member’s lab spends a period of time in the lab of another ISDCI member.  

• • Bursary will cover travel and lodging costs but not consumable costs. 

• • Topic is open as long as relevant to the ISDCI field 

Conditions 

1. • PhDs and post-doc (within 2 years from the completion of their PhD) are eligible; if not yet a member they must become a member upon acceptance of the bursary. 

• • Non-member PhDs/post-docs are only eligible if the PI is a member in good standing (only for 2025 ISDCI allows PIs to become a member (before end of January 2025), and have a student(s) from the lab applying; from 2026 onwards, the PI has to have been a member for at least 1 year for a PhD/post-doc from the lab to apply for the bursary). 

• • Applications from LMIC (Low Medium Income Country) are encouraged and will be seen favourably; PhD/post-doc from a LMIC or the PI from a LMIC do not have to be members to apply, but must become a member upon acceptance of the bursary. 

• • 1 bursary/year of 2000 USD. 

• • Funding has to be used within 12 months from the awards. 

• • Within 1 month from the completion of the visit, the PhD/post-doc provides photo evidence of the visit and writes a short summary of the experience (download template) that will be posted on the ISDCI website and on other social media. It will be seen favourably if the student will attend one of the ISDCI-relevant conferences (see Travel Bursaries) and report on the finding of the visit as well as acknowledge ISDCI for the support. 

• • If the work performed during the visit leads to a scientific publication, the ISDCI will be acknowledged in the acknowledgment section.

How to apply 

• • PhD/post-doc submits a motivation letter (1 A4 max, download template) 

• • PhD/post-doc submits a short CV (2 A4 max) 

• • PI provides a support letter confirming the PhD/post-doc is from his/her lab (1 A4 max). Please mention lab’s turnover or whether the lab is new or established;  

Submit the three files as 1 pdf to info@isdci.org to the attention of the ISDCI secretary of education. Follow the instructions in the template form on how to name the files and file’s format. 

Selection criteria 

• ISDCI board members will judge the application based on at least the following criteria: 
  • Expected learning outcomes/training experience 
  • Motivation behind the choice of the Host Lab 
  • How this will benefit the career 
  • Professional development plan 
  • Would the visit help establish a new or strengthen existing collaboration between labs? In the motivation letter, elaborate on: 
  • what the collaboration may lead to 
  • whether it involves cross-training among labs dealing with different disciplines (application for visits on cross-disciplinary training will be seen favorably.) 
  • Budget. In the motivation letter, elaborate on:  
  • whether matching funds are also available 
  • Submit a small budget Table.