Caregiver Grants

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 31 January 2025 at 11:59 p.m. ET

We are pleased to provide Caregiver Grants to help attendees of the AOS 2025 meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, United States (U.S.) to accommodate their various dependent-care needs. The AOS will offer grants to offset the extra costs incurred by caregivers (such as parents of young children or those providing elder-care) to attend the annual meeting. Any conference registrant will be eligible, although priority will be given to presenters and early-career researchers. Applicants can apply for Travel Grants as well as Caregiver Grants. All grantees are expected to have a high standard of ethical and social behavior that is strongly aligned with the AOS Code of Conduct & Ethics.

Conditions & Eligibility

• Any conference registrant is eligible. Preference will be given to early-career conference attendees who are presenting.
• Applicants can apply for general Travel Grants as well as Caregiver Grants.
• Recipients of a caregiver grant are eligible to apply for another Caregiver Grant two years from their successful application (e.g., received grant in 2024, eligible to apply again in 2026). The maximum number of grants is three (3).
• Funds may be used in any manner to support dependent care—to cover the cost of travel to the conference venue for an accompanying adult caregiver, the cost of dependent care at the conference venue, the cost of additional dependent care at home during the conference, the cost of an unshared hotel room or differential cost of a two bedroom hotel suite, etc. Applicants may also request AOS Caregiver Grants to cover the Companion/Guest registration fee, which would allow the caregiver to attend all regular events at the conference; or funds to cover specific ticketed events for caregivers and dependents. Funds cannot be used for conference registration or travel for the applicant.
• You do not need to register for the annual meeting before submitting an application; however, you are required to register within 30 days of receiving notification of your Caregiver Grant.

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted through the online Member Portal. Application materials include a half-page written description (not to exceed 250 words) of the need for support and how the funds will be used. 

Questions

Please send any questions to meeting@americanornithology.org with the subject line: 

“AOS 2025 Caregiver Grants Inquiry Regarding ______________”

Alternatively, additional questions can be submitted using this online form.

This form is monitored regularly by the Travel Grants Committee and someone will respond to you as quickly as possible.