QRA INQUA Congress Fund

About the award

Funds for attending the XXII INQUA 2027 Congress in Lucknow, India are available to all members of the QRA of at least one year’s standing (for postgraduate members any active membership is sufficient). Priority will be given to those with limited alternative sources of funding (particularly postgraduate students and early career researchers). Priority will also be given according to the level of involvement in the meeting: this may include (but is not limited to) for example, keynote presentation and/or invited presentation and/or presenting a paper (oral or poster) and/or convening a session and/or leading a post-conference excursion.

For this scheme only, members who are currently in receipt of other QRA Awards (or for whom 12 months have not yet elapsed since submitting their reports), are also eligible to apply. However, applications from former award/grant holders who still owe outstanding reports will not be considered.

Applications for support (up to £1200 and additional caring costs up to £300 maximum) should be made via our grants page on our website which will be received by our Awards Officer (Dr Lorna Linch – awards@qra.org.uk); the deadline for receipt of applications is midnight on 15th May 2026. If you do not receive an email response within 7 days confirming that your application has been received, please contact the Awards Officer.

Applications must include:

· Name

· Email address

· Job title or postgraduate status

· Student funding status (if applicable)

· ECR? (i.e. within 8 years of receiving your last degree not including career breaks e.g. maternity/parental leave, sick leave etc.) Yes/No

· Paper title

· Paper abstract (maximum 150 words)

· Additional conference activities (max 50 words)

· Has funding been sought from elsewhere? Yes/No

· If yes, give details (awarding body, amount sought and outcome)

· Breakdown of main budget

· Breakdown of caring costs (if applicable)

· Student supervisor letter of support (postgraduate applicants only)

Although we predict that demand for INQUA support will be high, QRA funds are limited and so we ask that applicants are realistic when presenting their budgets. The average award is expected to be around £800 for India. As part of our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, additional caring costs up to £300 can be included in the budget. See Other Rules and Information below for further details. Note that applications for INQUA travel funding via the normal Quaternary Conference Fund/Postgraduate Quaternary Conference Fund (QCF / PQCF) scheme will not be considered.

Successful applicants will be required to provide a brief statement of expenditure and activities undertaken within 3 months after the event has taken place, in order to re-activate their eligibility to apply for future QRA funding.

Your application will be processed if you fulfil the following eligibility criteria:

· A QRA member for at least 12 months prior to the application deadline at midnight 15th May 2026, excluding postgraduate members who may apply if they have a current active membership.

· Submission of all reports or statements of expenditure for previously awarded QRA grants. Any outstanding reports will need to be submitted by midnight on 15th May 2026 to allow an application for the INQUA Fund to be put forward. This includes statements of expenditure for previous INQUA funds.

· If you have an active award and are yet to submit a report or statement of expenditure as you are still within the 12 month (QRA research awards) or 3 month (QRA conference awards) reporting deadline, you will be able to apply for the INQUA Fund.

· Postgraduate applicants should include a supervisor letter of support within the main application form (please do not send multiple files).

Other Rules and Information:

· There will not be a 12 month restriction on further applications to the QRA if you are successful with an application to the INQUA Fund.

· Applications will be considered by an Awards Panel drawn from the QRA Executive Committee.

· Results of each grant round will normally be available within 4-6 weeks of the deadline. This should enable applicants to take up the Early Bird registration.

· Where indicated in their award letter, successful applicants must submit a statement of expenditure, within 3 months of the end of the XXII INQUA Congress. Failure to do so will make the applicant ineligible for future QRA Award applications.

Examples of eligible caring costs that can be applied for include, but are not limited to:

· Children’s travel costs to accompany the applicant to the conference (including related costs like vaccinations).

· Expenses for an accompanying adult to provide childcare at the conference.

· Childcare costs at home, whilst you travel, beyond what is normally required to do your job e.g. nursery or childminder fees.

· Care costs for elderly/ill relative while you travel, beyond what is normally required to do your job.