Carers’ Fund
This fund helps you attend physics-related events or conferences that you might not otherwise be able to go to because you care for someone else.
What you can use the grant for
We appreciate that the care you put in place for your dependants varies and we do not restrict how you use the grant. Examples of how you might use it include:
- extended hours for a child-minder or care worker
- babysitter costs
- travel expenses for friends or relatives to care for your dependants
- after school activities, clubs or play-schemes
- medical, nursing or respite care
Who can apply
To apply for the grant you need to:
- be a member of the IOP
- use the grant towards the costs of additional care
- attend a physics-related conference, meeting or event
How much is the grant
Up to £250.
How to apply
The application is designed to be straightforward and we ask you to provide brief details of the event and a description of how you will use the grant.
You may submit an application up to four weeks before the event using the application form (DOC, 113KB). We will normally let you know our decision within two weeks.
After the event, we ask you to complete and return a brief feedback form. The funds will be paid when we receive this feedback. We will not normally consider retrospective awards.
For full details of the fund please read our guidance (PDF, 29KB).
When grants are made
The Carers’ Fund is a limited fund and we review all applications in the order we receive them. We allocate £2,500 between January and June and another £2,500 between July and December.
Why we introduced the Carers’ Fund
We introduced the Carers’ Fund following a survey of our members by the Women in Physics Group. This analysed the major challenges that members faced in their career since becoming parents. Accessing childcare outside of working hours to attend conferences and professional development events was an issue reported by both women and men.
More information
- The Diversity Team
- Email: [email protected]
- Tel: +44 (0)20 7470 4800