Royal Society Cuts Conference Grants

In a move that will surprise no one, the Royal Society has followed its sister academy the BA in cutting funding for conference attendance. In a statement in their latest funding newsletter, the Society said:

"Following the latest Comprehensive Spending Review, the Society has unfortunately had to discontinue the International Travel Grants scheme and International Joint Projects scheme. Instead applications for international collaborations will from now on be managed through a new International Exchanges Scheme. However, the Society will unfortunately no longer be able to support conference attendance through this scheme. Whilst we acknowledge that conference attendance is important in raising the profile of UK science and scientists, the Society felt that facilitating international collaborations should be the priority during a period of budget constraints."

I think their belief is that universities should be providing this kind of funding themselves. However, in a time of cuts, I know that departments will be forced to trim their budgets, and the losers are going to be the individual academics, particularly the early career ones.

Still, not to worry. Rather than highlighting this on their news page, the Society is going instead with a story about it raining ants. It'll be skateboarding dogs next.