Travel Awards for Trainees & Early Career Researchers

About the Awards

The 2nd Canadian Open Science Conference is committed to reducing financial barriers to participation and fostering broad representation from across Canada's open science community. To support these goals, a limited number of travel awards of up to CAD $1,000 are available to help trainees and early career researchers travelling from outside the National Capital Region attend the conference.

These awards are intended to reduce financial barriers for trainees and early career researchers who would encounter financial challenges in attending the conference, and to encourage participation from diverse regions of Canada.

Eligibility

Applicants must:

• Be a trainee (undergraduate or graduate student, postdoctoral fellow, medical resident, or other research trainee) or an early career researcher (within five years of their first independent academic or research appointment, excluding eligible career interruptions);
• Be a Canadian-based researcher or trainee;
• Be travelling from outside the National Capital Region;
• Self-declare that they require financial assistance to attend the conference; and
• Register for the conference if selected to receive an award.

Award Value & Eligible Expenses

Recipients may receive reimbursement of eligible travel expenses of up to CAD $1,000 following the conference and submission of receipts.

Eligible expenses include transportation, accommodation, and local ground transportation associated with attending the conference.

Selection Process

If the number of eligible applications exceeds the number of awards available, recipients will be selected through a random draw among eligible applicants who have self-declared a need for financial assistance. We will show priority to individuals presenting a talk or a poster.

To promote broad representation from across Canada, the organizing committee will randomize considering the geographic distribution of applicants and may give preference to eligible applicants from provinces and territories that are underrepresented among conference attendees.

Key Dates

Application Deadline

August 24, 2026

Notification of Results

By September 1, 2026

Conference

October 27–29, 2026 · Ottawa

Reimbursement

After the conference, upon submission of eligible receipts