#VitaeCon2026 Researcher Bursaries
We are very pleased to be able to offer bursaries for researchers to attend the Vitae International Researcher Development Conference 2026.
The bursaries have been generously sponsored by UKRI and Wellcome. There are different criteria for the two sets of bursaries. Please read the general information and the specific details below and apply for the bursary for which you most closely meet the criteria.
The deadline to apply for all bursaries is Friday 7 August 2026 at 12 noon (GMT+1). Please note the deadline has now passed. The conference has an online and in-person element; there are bursaries available to attend both elements or just the online part of the conference.
When is the conference?
#VitaeCon2026 is set to take place both online and in-person on the following dates:
In-person at Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh on Tuesday 8 – Wednesday 9 September 2026.
Online on Thursday 1 October 2026.
We recommend that before you apply, you read more about the conference, so that you can be sure that attending will be of value to you.
What do we fund?
All bursaries cover the relevant conference ticket plus a reasonable contribution towards travel costs for bursaries that include the in-person conference. If you would like to discuss travel costs before you apply, please contact events@vitae.ac.uk.
The in-person bursaries also include a place to the Conference Gala Dinner and Vitae ICE Awards on the evening of Tuesday 8 September 2026.
What is expected of bursary winners?
Bursary winners are expected to attend all the elements of the conference that they are funded for (online and in-person, or online only). They are free to attend whichever sessions they choose, but we strongly encourage bursary winners to take part in networking opportunities and to feed their perspectives into discussion sessions.
After the conference, we will contact bursary winners to hear about their experience and offer the opportunity to write a short summary for us, but this is not compulsory.
How are applications assessed?
Each application is initially checked for eligibility by the Vitae conference team. Eligible applications are then assessed by two members of the Vitae Senior Management Team.
Applications are assessed against three criteria:
- Demonstration of benefit from attending the conference in relation to professional development
- Eligibility against the bursary criteria
- Demonstration of the need for the grant
Guidance on using generative AI in your application: the application form is very simple and we really want to quickly and clearly understand how you meet the criteria for the bursaries, ideally with examples. In previous years we have found applications which have used GenAI tools tend to be overly long, do not address the criteria effectively and are therefore less likely to be awarded. We would therefore recommend that you avoid using GenAI tools to write your application for you.
Bursaries for researchers involved in researcher networks sponsored by UKRI
The bursaries sponsored by UKRI are for researchers who are currently involved in, have previously been involved in, or are looking to become involved in, researcher networks and staff associations or committees. If you have an interest in the development of researchers and in amplifying researcher experiences, we would love to hear from you.
A diversity of perspectives hugely enriches the discussions at the conference. We therefore encourage applications from across career stages, employment status and discipline.
Through UKRI’s sponsorship we can offer bursaries for:
- 7 places to attend both the in-person and online elements of the conference
- An additional 10 places to attend the online-only element of the conference
How to apply
The deadline for applications has passed.
We aim to get back to you by Friday 14 August 2026.
Bursaries for researchers with an interest in equity, diversity and inclusion in the research environment sponsored by Wellcome
These bursaries are generously sponsored by Wellcome to enable researchers with an interest in equity, diversity and inclusion within the research environment to participate in #VitaeCon2026.
Through Wellcome sponsorship we can offer bursaries for:
- 6 places to attend both the in-person and online elements of the conference
- An additional 10 places to attend the online-only element of the conference
How to apply
The deadline for applications has passed.
We aim to get back to you by Friday 14 August 2026.
Further information
Vitae aims to provide constructive feedback to all applicants, whatever the outcome of their application.
If you have any questions about these bursaries or the application criteria, please contact events@vitae.ac.uk.
Vitae would like to thank UKRI and Wellcome for sponsoring these bursaries.