Australasian Plant Pathology Society

 
APPS CONFERENCE BURSARY SCHEME
     
  GUIDELINES FOR APPLICANT

The Australasian Plant Pathology Society (APPS) will provide bursaries for students and early career researchers to attend either an APPS biennial conference or an APPS special interest group meeting during the non-biennial conference year. ECRs must have been awarded a PhD within five years, or longer if combined with periods of significant career interruption. Applicants without PhD qualifications but with up to 10 years’ experience in the plant pathology industry are also considered as ECRs.

In most years, for the Biennial conference, the bursaries will be awarded as registration fee to the conference. That is $1500 for students or early career researchers to cover conference registration, flights and accommodation. If attending from the local area then conference registration only will be awarded. APPS membership is not a requirement to apply; however you will be expected to join in order to accept the bursary. 		 
     
  SUPPORT FOR ATTENDANCE AT APPS BIENNIAL CONFERENCE or Special Interest group meeting  
     
  Up to 2 bursaries per region will be provided for the biennial APPS conference. This initiative is intended to ensure that students and ECRs from all branches of the APPS (ACT, NSW, NT, NZ north, NZ south, PNG & Pacific, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC and WA) have a chance to apply regardless of the size or financial status of the region in which they are resident. The Special Interest group meetings will be allocated 1 bursary per region.  
     
  INFORMATION FOR THE APPLICANT  
     
  Funds will be allocated on a competitive basis by the Selection Committee. The committee reserves the right not to allocate bursaries. Priority will be given to students and ECR that have no other financial assistance to attend the conference or special interest group meeting. Priority will be given to students/ECRs who have NOT received a bursary from APPS in the last 4 years.  
     
  To be eligible for funding, the applicant must:  
     
 
  • Be an ECR or student enrolled in an Honours, Masters or PhD program on a full or part-time basis in Australasia, the Pacific region or South East Asia and, if in an Honours degree, must be near completion;
  • Provide evidence of requirement for funds (i.e. value of any other scholarships applied for);
  • Include a signed letter of recommendation from their Principal Supervisor; Complete all sections of the application form; Submit a 100 word (approx.) written statement outlining the relevance of attending the conference to their research;
  • Intend to give a presentation at the meeting (posters are acceptable);
  • Have submitted an abstract at the time of application;
  • Complete a conference report, with photographs, upon return for inclusion in the APPS newsletter. Additionally, presentation of their talk at a local APPS symposium in coordination with their local Regional Councillor is strongly encouraged
 
     
  NOTE:  Late, incomplete and retrospective applications will not be considered.  
     
 
  • Applications will be accepted without the confirmation of conference registration or acceptance of oral presentations; however, funds will only be issued to successful applicants once the student/ECR has supplied proof of registration and the acceptance letter for their presentation.
 
     
  NOT eligible to apply are:  
     
 
  1. Masters/PhD students who have submitted their thesis unless the application is as an ECR;
  2. Students who are on leave from candidature during the period for which they intend to apply.
  3. Students who will be reimbursed in full by employer, sponsor or Faculty/Institute/Centre for attending the conference.
 
     
  APPLICATION DATE  
     
  Applications open 5 months prior to the APPS conference, in any conference year, and applicants will be notified of their success (or not) no later than 2 months prior to the conference in the same year.

Special Interest group conference or activities financial assistance will be advised on a case by case basis and advertised accordingly. Below are the cut off dates for the upcoming ASDS and APVW events. 		 
     
  ASDS Bursaries Open: 14 March 2026
ASDS Bursaries Close: 1 July 2026 		 
Apply for ASDS Bursary
APVW Bursaries Open: 27 April 2026
APVW Bursaries Close: 1 August 2026
  Apply for APVW Bursary  
     
  QUERIES AND SUBMISSIONS TO BE SENT TO:   
  APPS Executive Secretary   
Dr. Wadia Kandula, Lincoln University Diwakar.Kandula@lincoln.ac.nz