Gates Foundation Travel Grants

The Gates Foundation Travel Award supports researchers from Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) in Africa and ASEAN to attend and participate in the IPNC 2026 Conference.

The aim of this award is to strengthen global collaboration in Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae research, and to enable PhD students, early-career researchers and researchers from LMIC regions to engage with the international scientific community. Priority will be given to applicants who demonstrate positive pathways in Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae research within LMIC settings.

Inclusions

The Travel Award provides financial support to enable selected applicants to attend IPNC 2026.

The award includes:

  • Return economy-class airfare

  • Accommodation during the conference

  • Full conference registration (including the gala dinner)

  • Airport transfers

  • A modest travel allowance

Travel arrangements will be coordinated by the IPNC 2026 Professional Conference Organiser (ASN Events).

Application Requirements

Applicants must submit one combined PDF file containing the following documents in the order listed below. We recommend finalising this before starting your application.

  • Letter of support from supervisor or institutional leader

  • Passport identity page (photo page)

  • Curriculum Vitae (CV) - Maximum five A4 pages - Include education, research experience, publications (if applicable), and relevant achievements.

Once all documents are combined into a single PDF file using the following filename format:

Lastname_INITIALS_IPNC2026_LMIC country_GatesTravelAward.pdf

‍ ‍ Example: Snow_J_IPNC2026_Rwanda_GatesTravelAward.pdf

Application Deadline

All applications must be received by: Friday 15 May 2026 5:00 PM
(AWST – Australian Western Standard Time)

Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

  1. Be currently based in a Low- and Middle-Income Country (LMIC) located in Africa or ASEAN

  2. Be actively working in Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, or a closely related field.

  3. Be one of the following: -PhD student -Early-career researcher -Postdoctoral researcher (within 10 years of completing their PhD) -Academic researcher or clinician-scientist.

  4. Submit an abstract (poster or oral presentation) to IPNC 2026 that is successfully accepted into the program.

Conditions of the Award

Successful applicants must:

  • Attend IPNC 2026 in person in Busselton, Western Australia.

  • Present an accepted abstract (poster or oral presentation) at the conference.

  • Acknowledge the Gates Foundation Travel Award and IPNC 2026 in professional communications, including: social media posts (Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.), institutional communications, conference-related announcements.

Selection Process

Applications will be reviewed by the IPNC 2026 Travel Award Selection Committee.

Selection will be based on:

  • scientific merit- relevance of research

  • career development potential

  • expected impact on the applicant’s institution and region.

All decisions are final.

Application

When you have completed the following preparations you can then click the Apply Here button:

  • Prepared your PDF Document (letter of support, Passport ID & CV)

  • Completed an abstract submission.

APPLY HERE

Enquiries

For further information regarding the travel award, please contact:

Vanessa Chong

IPNC 2026 Travel Award Administrative Support

Marshall Centre for Infectious Diseases Research & Training, University of Western Australia

Email: vanessa.chong@uwa.edu.au

Tel: +61 8 6457 4815