Definitions and eligibility
Central Asian = “citizens of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and persons from adjacent regions of the Caucasus, Russia, China, Afghanistan and Iran”.
Non-Central Asian = everyone else
Priorities for funding
Funding is prioritised for: (1) citizens of Central Asian countries, (2) who are based at institutions in Central Asia, and (3) are accepted to present papers at the conference. Beyond these three criteria, decision on ranking are based on the quality of the abstract submitted. It is assumed that foreign scholars and Central Asians based at major international institutions are more likely to have access to funds. We are not normally able to fund persons who are appearing in the conference as a non-presenter.
Types of award
Three types of award will be made.
£400: Non-Central Asia Travel Bursary. Awarded to Central Asians and non-Central Asians based outside of Central Asia as a flat bursary towards all costs. In some cases, where a Central Asian university offers substantial internal funding, this award may be offered to an applicant based in the region. All bookings and travel will be made direct by the recipient.
£800-900: Central Asia Travel Grant. Awarded to Central Asians based inside Central Asia to cover the costs of travel and accommodation. Flight, transfers and Exeter accommodation will be booked and paid for by Exeter on behalf of the recipient.
Supplementary Travel Grant. Awarded to cover other costs (Conference fee, UK visa, subsistence), subsequently and in addition to a bursary or grant. These costs will be reimbursed to recipients who are not otherwise able to attend, even after having received the earlier award, due to insufficient funds.
Process and deadlines
17 Feb: deadline for submissions; Michel downloads applications and summary spreadsheet
18 Feb-4 March: compilation and evaluation of applications by conference committee
Each application is scored by at least two assessors from the conference committee. Assessors will not assess the applications of colleagues and co-authors. Awards are allocated with consideration of the proportion of applications per discipline and per Central Asian country of origin.
By 8 March: Results released to successful and stand-by applicants.
Throughout March and April: Stand-by applicants informed of whether they will be funded.
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