The Centre will make up to 30 travel awards available each year for registered U of T graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, medical residents, and clinical fellows. There are two funding periods:

Period 1:  Up to 15 awards will be available for travel occurring between July 1 - December 31, 2010

Period 2:  Up to 15 awards will be available for travel occurring between January 1 - June 30, 2011

• At the time of abstract submission to the meeting, the applicant must be either:
  A) a registered University of Toronto graduate student, or
  B) a post-doctoral fellow having received a PhD within the last 5 years, or
  C) a medical resident or clinical fellow having received an MD within the last 9 years.
• The applicant's supervisor must hold a full-time faculty appointment with the University of Toronto and must also be a registered member* of the Banting & Best Diabetes Centre at the time of application submission. (*Faculty who are new to the field of diabetes research and are not members of the BBDC can request free membership by contacting the Centre prior to submitting an application. For more information, please see the Membership section of this website.)
• Trainees will be eligible for a Travel Award upon written confirmation of acceptance of a first author abstract for presentation at a national or international meeting. Only one trainee per abstract will be considered for each award (e.g. co-first authors are not eligible).
• The content of the abstract must be directly related to an area of diabetes research.
• In cases where the trainee has a co-supervisor, the senior author of the abstract should be listed as the trainee's primary supervisor.
• Trainees cannot submit the same abstract if the abstract was funded in a previous BBDC Trainee Travel Award competition.
• Under normal circumstances awards will be limited to three per lab per BBDC fiscal year (July 1 to June 30), although supervisors may submit more than three applications per year.
• Only one award will be granted per trainee per BBDC fiscal year (July 1 to June 30). Therefore, trainees who receive a BBDC Travel Award in period 1 are not eligible to submit an application for period 2.

Up to $1,000 Canadian for each award.

Applications will be ranked by a sub-group of the BBDC Research Committee on the basis of scientific merit. Although the BBDC takes a broad view of cellular and molecular biology in diverse model systems and possible relevance to diabetes, the content of the abstract must be directly and obviously related to diabetes research in order to receive a favourable score for funding.

Submit a completed application form, abstract, and abstract acceptance letter (if received) to the BBDC by the deadline date. See application form for complete instructions.

Download the BBDC Trainee Travel Award application form (PDF)

If notification of abstract acceptance is not received before the Travel Award application deadline date, please submit the application form and abstract to the BBDC by the deadline date, then forward a copy of the acceptance letter as soon as it is received. In the event that the abstract is not accepted for presentation, the application will be removed from consideration.

Period 1:  For travel occurring between July 1 and December 31, 2010 the deadline for receipt of applications is 5 p.m., October 5, 2010. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Period 2:  For travel occurring between January 1 and June 30, 2010 the deadline for receipt of applications is 5 p.m., March 29, 2011. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Period 1:  All applicants will be notified in December 2010. Funding decisions will also be posted on the BBDC's web site.

Period 2:  All applicants will be notified in May 2011. Funding decisions will also be posted on the BBDC's web site.

Trainees are encouraged to apply for all other possible travel awards. Supervisors must agree to provide the remaining funding required for the trainee to attend the meeting.

Successful applicants will be reimbursed for travel expenses upon presentation of original receipts only. Photocopies of receipts or credit card slips or statements not accompanied by the original itemized receipts will not be accepted.

If claiming airfare, the airline ticket/itinerary AND boarding passes for all flights taken must be submitted.

Reimbursement can be paid to the applicant or to the supervisor if travel expenses were paid from the supervisor's grant. The BBDC will NOT reimburse the student or supervisor for travel funding obtained from other sources, including other University Departments or Extra-Departmental Units.

Eligible Travel Expenses:

• Conference Fee
• Return economy airfare, train, or bus fare. Airfare should be booked a minimum of 8 weeks in advance of travel dates to obtain discounted rate. 
• Airline checked baggage charges (except overweight or excess baggage fees)
• Standard accommodations (except when conference is held in Toronto)
• Meals (Maximum $55 CAD/day in Canada; maximum $75 CAD/day outside Canada). The itemized bill must be provided. Credit card slips alone will not be accepted.
• Taxi fares, shuttles, or other means of ground transportation
• Per kilometre allowance (47 cents/km) if using personally owned automobile for short distance travel (i.e. less than 500 km from the GTA)
• Parking if using personally owned automobile for short distance travel

Ineligible Travel Expenses:

• Accommodations if conference is held in Toronto
• Local or long distance telephone calls
• Internet charges
• Materials and services for presentations (eg. poster materials, printing, photocopying, Velcro/pins, etc.)
• Personal travel insurance or traveler's medical insurance
• Passport or visa costs

Contact the Banting & Best Diabetes Centre:
Phone: (416) 978-4656      Fax: (416) 978-4108
E-mail: diabetes.bbdc@utoronto.ca