Travel Grants Program

As Southeast Asia's champion of excellence in agricultural and rural development, SEARCA offers Travel Grants (up to USD 1,200) to professionals, social scientists, and graduate students in the region. These grants support paper presentations (priority) or participation in conferences—face-to-face or online—to share findings, build networks, and foster collaborations that drive sustainable transformation of Southeast Asian agricultural systems through innovation.

Each grant is up to a maximum of USD 1,200 to each qualified agriculture and agriculture-related professional, social scientist, or graduate student in Southeast Asia.

Objectives

• Enable qualified Southeast Asian nationals to participate and present papers in scientific conferences and fora, locally or internationally
  Note: Priority will be given to paper presentations, but poster presentations may be considered depending on the volume of applications.
• Promote the dissemination of scientific knowledge vital to sustainable transformation of Southeast Asian agricultural systems through innovation.
• Provide a venue for dialogue between the grantees and other scientists, researchers, university faculty, and scholars about recent developments in their respective disciplines.
• Facilitate linkages, partnerships, and active collaboration between SEARCA, or the applicant's home institution, with other development organizations and donors.
• Produce articles or any publication of the presented paper as articles or policy briefs

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

1. The paper should be aligned with SEARCA's priority thrusts that will strategically contribute to any of the following outcomes:
   • Increased farmers' income
   • Improved food security and nutrition
   • Greater climate resilience of agricultural systems
   • Empowered farmers, farmer groups, and agricultural stakeholders and their institutions
2. Applicants who will present scientific papers in international or local scientific conferences and fora, either via face-to-face or online mode. On a case-to-case basis, paper presentations may not be required if attendance to a conference/forum is expected to result in establishing formal linkages, partnerships, collaborations, and strong development impacts.
3. Priority will be given to travel within the Southeast Asian region. Grants for travel outside the region may be considered on a case-to-case basis depending on how well the paper satisfies the selection criteria and the objectives of the Travel Grants.
4. Applicants must be nationals of Southeast Asian countries: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.

   Priority 1:

   • SEARCA Fellows (senior, adjunct, and visiting research fellows)
     1. SEARCA graduate scholarship alumni
     2. Researchers at SEARCA-implemented/coordinated projects
     3. SFRT grantees
     4. Proponents from the University Consortium (UC) (faculty, staff, and graduate students);
     5. SEARCA ongoing scholars
     6. Faculty and staff of universities under the SEARCA's Institutional Development Assistance Program

   Priority 2:

   • Regular staff members of nonprofit development-oriented institutions
   • Graduate students at agricultural universities in Southeast Asia that are not UC members

   Former travel grantees may re-apply if their previous travel grant was more than three years prior to their new application.

5. Successful applicants must comply with the following:
   • Acknowledgement of SEARCA in the paper presentation using the Powerpoint template provided to the grantee
   • Submission of a publishable article, policy brief, or research note based on the conference presentation
   • Sharing of insights and findings via SEARCA's Agriculture and Development Seminar Series (ADSS) or the SEARCA Online Learning and Virtual Engagement (SOLVE) Webinar Series

Grant Coverage/Eligible Cost Items

The following cost items can be covered by the Grant.

(Note: Must not exceed the maximum amount of USD 1,200.)

How to Submit Application

1. All applications must be submitted online through the SEARCA Grants Information System. Applications submitted via email or hard copies sent directly to the Center will not be processed. Applicants should fill out the system's online submission form completely and upload all required documents for their application to proceed. All communications related to your application will be done through the system. If a problem is encountered during online application or in the use of the system, the applicant should inform SEARCA through email () so that said problem, if from SEARCA's end, can be addressed.
2. A letter expressing interest to avail of the grant, addressed to:
   Dr. Mercedita Sombilla
   Center Director
   Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA)
   College, Los Baños, 4031 Laguna, Philippines
3. A recommendation letter from the immediate head/supervisor/major professor of the applicant, if applicable
4. Two-page summary (single-spaced; A4 sheet) of the paper for presentation to the conference
5. Copy of the conference organizer's letter of acceptance of the paper for presentation
6. Copy of the conference program
7. Estimated budget for the participation
8. Proof/copy of award of funding support from other organization(s) if travel is beyond Southeast Asia
9. Applicant's curriculum vitae

For non-paper presenters whose purpose is for establishing formal linkages, partnerships, collaborations or will bring strong development impacts to SEARCA and/or his/her home institution, items 3 and 4 are no longer required. Applicants under this category must show concrete proof of recent and ongoing negotiations, liaisons and/or invitations between the parties involved, and must be able to establish that a face-to-face meeting may likely result to opportunities for collaboration or mutually beneficial impacts.

Due to the high volume of applications received per quarter, only shortlisted applicants will be notified.

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Post-Event Requirements

The grantee must submit the following post-event requirements to SEARCA through the Grants Information System within seven days after the conference:

1. Travel report highlighting observations, learning, and recommendations;
2. Publishable version of the scientific paper presented;
3. A copy of the presentation (PowerPoint file);
4. A short news article about the highlights of the conference/forum and the grantee's presentation; and
5. Detailed expense report together with original copies of plane ticket, boarding passes, and official receipts (see list of eligible cost items).

General Schedule of Grant Cycle

Note: Quarters follow the fiscal year which starts on 1 July and ends on 30 June.

Contact Information

For inquiries, please contact: