Up to 30 travel awards are available each year for registered U of T graduate students,   undergraduate students, medical 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, 2011

Period 2:  Up to 15 awards will be available for travel occurring between January 1 - June 30, 2012

• At the time of abstract submission to the meeting, the trainee must be either:
  A) a registered University of Toronto graduate, undergraduate or medical student
  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 trainee'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/conference. 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 relevant to diabetes.
• 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 eligible travel expenses will be reimbursed to the trainee (or supervisor) after travel to the meeting has occurred.

Abstracts are reviewed by a sub-group of the BBDC Research Committee and will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Clear and direct relevance of the work to diabetes. The content of the abstract must clearly demonstrate the direct relevance of the work to diabetes in order to receive a favourable score for funding.
• Well-written
• Demonstration of novel findings with a clear significance to diabetes
• Type of conference (national or international)
• A minor component of the evaluation may be based on any other criteria that the reviewers consider relevant to this competition.

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, 2011 the deadline for receipt of applications is 5 p.m., October 4, 2011. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

PERIOD 2:  For travel occurring between January 1 and June 30, 2012 the deadline for receipt of applications is 5 p.m., March 27, 2012. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Period 1:  All applicants will be notified in December 2011. Funding decisions will also be posted on the BBDC's web site.

Period 2:  All applicants will be notified in May 2012. 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 after travel has occurred. Photocopies of receipts or credit card slips or statements not accompanied by the original itemized receipts will NOT be accepted.

Reimbursement can be paid to the trainee 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*:

*If conference is held in Toronto, reimbursement will only be provided for conference registration fee, abstract submission fee, and public transportation or parking fees. Reimbursement for breakfast and/or lunch will not be provided unless meals were not included in the conference registration fee.

• Conference registration fee
• Abstract submission fee
• Return economy airfare. Airfare should be booked a minimum of 8 weeks in advance of travel dates to obtain discounted rate. The receipt must document the flight itinerary and cost of airfare.  All boarding passes must be provided.
• Airline checked baggage fee (except excess or overweight baggage fees). Maximum of one checked baggage fee per flight.
• Rail or bus fare. Original ticket or receipt must be provided.
• Standard accommodations. A detailed hotel invoice must be provided.  Claimants are advised that there may be difficulty in obtaining a detailed hotel bill if the room was booked and pre-paid through an on-line service.  However, the claimant is still responsible for obtaining a detailed hotel invoice as proof of stay and payment prior to leaving the hotel.  Reimbursement will not be provided for charges such as entertainment, internet, special facilities charges, or laundry service.
• Taxi fares or shuttles.
• Public transportation. Original ticket or receipt must be provided.
• Meals (maximum $55/day in Canada; $75/day in the US or international).  Itemized bills listing all items purchased must be provided.
• Use of personal vehicle.  Reimbursement of $0.47 per kilometre will be provided if using a personally owned automobile for short distance travel (i.e. outside of Toronto and less than 500 km from the GTA). 
• Parking fees if using a personally owned automobile.

Ineligible Travel Expenses:

• Local or long distance telephone calls
• Internet charges
• Hotel special facilities charges, or laundry service
• Materials and services for presentations (eg. poster materials, printing, photocopying, Velcro/pins, etc.)
• Personal travel and medical insurance
• Passport or travel visa costs
• Excess or overweight baggage charges
• Educational or other materials purchased at the meeting
• Entertainment

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