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BALSA
BALSA TRAVEL GRANTS

Present your work on science's biggest stages

Up to US$1,000 to help Brazilian students present at leading conferences in the U.S. and Canada.

Apply now →View guidelines
US$1,000
Maximum per grantee
4
Grants available
Sep 3
Application deadline
GRANT BENEFITS

What the grant covers

US$1,000
maximum per grantee

Reimbursed after the conference upon presentation of receipts. A partial advance may be considered upon justified request.

Eligible expenses

Registration fee
Flights
Lodging
Meals
Local transportation
Presentation materials

Eligible presentation formats

OralPosterPanelWorkshop

Eligible fields

Proposals tied to the life sciences and related areas including but not limited to:

Life and health sciencesNatural sciencesBioengineering and biotechnologyInterdisciplinary research applied to life sciences
APPLICATION

What to prepare

All materials must be submitted in English.

Required documents

  • Completed application form
  • Updated academic CV
  • Research project abstract
  • Proof of submission or acceptance, if applicable
  • Itemized budget estimate
  • Updated academic transcript
  • Four short essays

Essay prompts

  1. If you had all the funding and resources in the world, what research question would you like to pursue on that topic?

    Max 150 words

  2. How would attending a conference with the financial support and mentorship of BALSA help your academic or professional goals?

    Max 200 words

  3. Think about a project, accomplishment, or anything you have worked on that you are really proud of. How did you get there? Walk us through your journey.

    Max 200 words

  4. What potential impact could your current research project and professional career as a researcher have on Brazil and on the U.S. or Canada?

    Max 200 words

Evaluation criteria

  1. Academic merit and scientific quality of the research
  2. Relevance of the conference to your academic and professional path
  3. Clarity, coherence, and consistency of the proposal
  4. Potential academic, scientific, and social impact of the work
  5. Contribution to Brazilian representation and to diversity of regions, institutions, and fields

Two of the four grants are reserved for undergraduate students and two for graduate students.

ELIGIBILITY

Who can apply

Applicants must meet all of the following requirements:

  1. 1
    Brazilian citizenship

    Hold Brazilian citizenship by birth or naturalization.

  2. 2
    BALSA membership

    Membership is free and open to Brazilians living in the U.S. or Canada working in life sciences.

    Not a member yet? Join BALSA →
  3. 3
    Enrollment

    Be enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student at a U.S. or Canadian college or university.

  4. 4
    Research project

    Be involved in a scientific research project in one of the fields covered by the call.

  5. 5
    Presentable work

    Research accepted to a conference for presentation, talk, workshop, or poster.

Recipient commitments

If you are selected, you commit to:

  • Attend the conference as proposed in your application
  • Submit a final report after the event
  • Share the experience, for example as a text, a video, a talk, or a post on BALSA channels
  • Acknowledge BALSA Travel Grants in posters, talks, and publications, when applicable
TIMELINE

Selection process dates

Aug 3, 2026
Call for applications published
Sep 3, 2026
Final deadline to apply
Sep 3–21, 2026
Evaluation of proposals
Sep 15–29, 2026
Interviews, by invitation only
Oct 5, 2026
Results announced
Oct 5, 2026 – Oct 4, 2027
Window for eligible conferences
QUESTIONS

Frequently asked questions

APPLICATIONS OPEN UNTIL SEPTEMBER 3, 2026

Ready to present your work?

Apply to BALSA Travel Grants and represent Brazilian scientific talent at the leading conferences in the United States and Canada.

Start your application →View guidelines ↗

Questions? Write to grants@balsa.bio