IWRS Travel Grants 2026: Get Up to US$1,000 to Attend Conferences and Present Invertebrate Welfare Research
Introduction
The Insect Welfare Research Society (IWRS) Travel Grants 2026 provide financial support to students and early-career researchers who are presenting research on invertebrate welfare or sentience science at prominent academic conferences and events.
The grant is intended to help researchers who may otherwise be unable to attend because of financial limitations. It supports participation in conferences and events connected to entomology, animal behaviour, animal science, philosophy, animal welfare and related fields.
The Insect Welfare Research Society is an academic-led research society founded in 2023 that supports the global research community working on insect welfare and encourages the use of evidence-based information on invertebrate welfare in research, policy and practice. Its work also covers understudied terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates.
Benefits
Successful applicants can receive up to US$1,000 in travel grant funding.
The grant can be used to help cover costs associated with attending the relevant conference or event, including:
Conference registration fees
Travel expenses
Accommodation
Other attendance-related costs associated with participating in the event.
The funding can therefore help reduce the financial barrier faced by students and early-career researchers who need to travel to present their research.
Priority is given to applicants who:
Are presenting work that advances insect or invertebrate welfare research; and
Would not otherwise be able to attend the conference or event without financial support.
Beyond the financial assistance, the grant gives successful applicants an opportunity to present their research to an academic audience, engage with researchers and other professionals, and contribute to the development of the growing field of invertebrate welfare research.
Eligibility
The IWRS Travel Grants are designed for:
Students
Early-career researchers
Applicants must be presenting invertebrate welfare or sentience science at a prominent conference or event.
The conference or event may be in fields including:
Entomology
Animal behaviour
Animal science
Philosophy
Animal welfare
Other related fields
The research presented should be relevant to invertebrate welfare or sentience.
The IWRS supports research and scholarship involving insects as well as other understudied invertebrates. Examples of terrestrial invertebrates supported by the organisation include spiders and other arachnids, myriapods such as millipedes, and gastropod molluscs. Aquatic invertebrates supported by IWRS include shrimp/prawns, horseshoe crabs and cephalopod molluscs.
The society’s broader research focus covers welfare in farmed, wild and research contexts.
Priority Consideration
Priority is specifically given to applicants whose work:
- Advances insect or invertebrate welfare research, and
- Demonstrates that the applicant needs financial assistance to attend the event.
This means applicants should clearly demonstrate the relevance of their research and why the travel support is important for their participation.
Deadline
The FundsforNGOs announcement lists is 31 December 2026
as the deadline for applications.
However, the current official IWRS page describes the application deadline as rolling rather than giving a single closing date. IWRS advises applicants to apply early because grant decisions take approximately 4–6 weeks. Applicants whose conference attendance depends on receiving the grant should therefore not submit their application too close to the event.
So, while 31 December 2026 is the deadline reported by the FundsforNGOs listing, applicants should not wait until then if their conference is approaching.
How to Apply
Interested students and early-career researchers should apply through the IWRS Travel Grants application system.
Before applying, applicants should ensure that:
They qualify as a student or early-career researcher.
They are presenting invertebrate welfare or sentience science.
Their conference or event falls within one of the relevant fields, such as entomology, animal behaviour, animal science, philosophy or animal welfare.
They understand the costs for which they are requesting support.
They can explain how the proposed conference participation contributes to their research and the broader field.
They explain their need for financial assistance, particularly if they would otherwise be unable to attend.
Applicants should also allow sufficient time for the 4–6 week decision period before their conference.
The IWRS provides an Applicant Handbook containing FAQs and additional information about funding restrictions, acknowledging IWRS support and reporting requirements. Applicants are encouraged to read the handbook before submitting an application.
For questions that are not answered in the handbook, applicants can contact:
grants@insectwelfare.com
Important Funding Information
The IWRS Travel Grant is specifically intended to support conference/event attendance for researchers presenting relevant work. It should not be confused with the IWRS’s separate programmes, such as its Student Research Awards or Small Meeting Support grants.
The Student Research Awards, for example, provide separate US$2,000 awards for graduate students conducting research on insect or understudied invertebrate welfare or sentience.
The Small Meeting Support programme is also separate and can provide up to US$2,000 to organisers of small in-person or virtual meetings, workshops or conferences focused on insect or understudied invertebrate welfare.
Conclusion
The IWRS Travel Grant is a valuable opportunity for students and early-career researchers who need financial support to present invertebrate welfare research at relevant conferences and events.
Application Link
Official IWRS Travel Grants page:
Apply for IWRS Travel Grants
Grant amount: Up to US$1,000
Eligible applicants: Students and early-career researchers
Research focus: Invertebrate welfare and sentience science
Eligible events: Conferences and events in entomology, animal behaviour, animal science, philosophy, animal welfare and related fields
Funding: Registration, travel, accommodation and other attendance-related costs
Official deadline: Rolling applications; allow 4–6 weeks for a decision.
FundsforNGOs listed deadline: 31 December 2026.
Enquiries: grants@insectwelfare.com
