The EASM Early Career Scholarship targets PhD students and early career researchers from lower income countries as well as countries that are traditionally less represented within EASM. The organisers will award up to a total of 5 scholarships, covering the conference fee as well as accommodation during the conference. This newly introduced scholarship aims to foster academic growth and provide financial support to deserving scholars as part of EASMs’ initiatives on social sustainability.
Eligibility Criteria
- Target Audience: Full-time as well as part-time PhD students, and early career academics (graduated less than three years prior to submission).
- European Focus: These scholarships are reserved for individuals from less represented European countries within EASM (<5 participants at previous conferences). As such submissions from UK, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, France, Austria, as well as the Nordic European Countries will NOT be considered in 2024. Applications from Eastern European Countries, as well as the Balkan region are especially encouraged.
- Scholarship Distribution: The committee awards scholarships to a maximum of two person per country, ensuring greater diversity among recipients.
- EASM Membership: In case multiple eligible applications are received, EASM members will be given preference. As such, applicants are encouraged to sign up for EASM membership before applying for the scholarship.
- Presentation at Conference: Applicants confirm that, if successful, they are available to attend and present their abstract in person at the 32nd EASM Conference in Paris (3rd – 6th September 2024).
- Application Country: The applicant’s country refers to the institution they are associated with, not their country of origin.
Application Process
Eligible applicants will need to send their complete application to office@easm.net using the subject “EASM Early Career Scholarship Submission”. Deadline is the 24th of May 2024 at 23:59 CET.
Only complete applications using the correct subject title in the e-mail will be considered. Required application documents are: Abstract, Motivation Letter, and evidence of PhD enrolment/ completion.
Abstract
Criteria for abstract submission depend on whether the applicant has already submitted an abstract for the 2024 Conference.
- Already Submitted Abstract for the Conference via Conftool
Only the abstract ID of the submission for the conference will be required for the scholarship application. This can be featured within the e-mail text. Note that the applicant needs to be the lead and presenting author on the submission.
- No current EASM Abstract submission
Applicants will need to attach an abstract to their EASM Early Career Scholarship submission e-mail. The abstract will need to adhere to the general abstract submission guidelines (LINK) and not have been submitted elsewhere. The abstract should be saved as a word or PDF file and be labelled “NAME_EASM Early Career Scholarship_Abstract”.
Motivation Letter
Alongside the Abstract submission, applicants will need to attach a 500–600-word motivation letter featuring their name, institution, country, current occupation/year of study, and graduation date (if applicable).
In this proposal applicants should outline
- a) why they think they should be awarded the scholarship
- b) their motivation for attending the EASM conference
- c) what they hope to gain from participating and presenting at the EASM conference
- d) how they plan on disseminating learnings from the conference
- e) confirm/explain that they would not be able to attend the EASM conference without receiving this funding
This motivation letter should be saved as a word or PDF file and be labelled “NAME_EASM Early Career Scholarship_Motivation”.
PhD Enrolment/ Completion
To proof their eligibility, evidence of current PhD enrolment or completion need to be attached alongside the Abstract and Motivation Letter. This should be saved as a word or PDF file and be labelled “NAME_EASM Early Career Scholarship_PhD”.
Review Process and Outcome
All submissions received by the deadline (24th May 2024 23:59 CET) will be reviewed and suggestions for awarding the scholarship, based on the eligibility criteria, made to the Chair of the EASM Awards Committee.
Decisions will be made, and the outcome communicated by the 14th of June.
EASM reserves the right to award fewer scholarships should the received applications not meet eligibility criteria or diverge from the award committees’ expectations.
Successful recipients will need to register for the conference via conftool (LINK) by the 13th July 2024. Failing to register by this deadline will result in the withdrawal of the scholarship.
Questions and Further Information
Any questions on this scholarship should be directed to the Chair of the Award Committee, Aila Ahonen (Aila.Ahonen@jamk.fi); or the Chair of the EASM Early Career Scholarship, Jacqueline Mueller (j.g.g.mueller@lboro.ac.uk).