2024 Symposium Travel Awards Program: Program Criteria

Student applicants must:

• provide proof of full-time enrolment in a program relevant to our work at a university or college in Canada.
• submit a letter of recommendation from a professor or advisor.

Patient or caregiver applicants must:

• be affiliated with a not-for-profit, patient-related organization, or healthcare organization (e.g. Patient and Family Advisory Council) or a citizen’s group interested in health policy.
• submit a letter of recommendation from a senior member of the organization.

Members of equity-deserving groups must:

• be affiliated with or endorsed by a community group, network, or association working to improve equity in health systems.
• submit a letter of recommendation from a member of the community group, network or association.

Preference will be given to applicants who:

• have an abstract accepted for presentation at the 2024 Symposium
• have submitted an abstract to the 2024 Symposium
• clearly demonstrate an interest in work
• have not previously received a Symposium travel award.

Deadline for applications: Friday, April 19, 2024.

Eligible expenses include:

• travel by air, train, bus, or private vehicle
• hotel or other accommodations
• incidentals, including taxies
• meals (other than those provided at the Symposium)
• symposium registration to a maximum of the registration rate for the applicant’s category
• social event fee ($125)
• other costs (e.g., additional childcare)

Requests for 2024 Symposium Travel Awards must contain:

• confirmation of enrolment status from a university, or of the applicant’s involvement from the patient or healthcare organization, or of the applicant’s involvement in a community group, network or association working to improve equity in health systems
• a brief summary of interests and accomplishments
• description of anticipated benefits and learning from attending the 2024 Symposium
• a cost estimate
• a letter of recommendation

N.B. Please ensure you have all the required information before you submit your application. 
The maximum allowable travel award is $3,000, and we may elect to award only a portion of the funding requested depending on factors such as the number of requests for travel awards received and a review of estimated costs. We may be unable to fund all requests.