SPCE-TC Travel Award

Regulation for the SPCE-TC Travel Award

Article 1 — Subject matter

The Portuguese Society for Stem Cells and Cellular Therapy, hereinafter referred to as SPCE-TC, recognizes that presenting and disseminating research work at international conferences is particularly relevant for the scientific and professional development of young researchers.

In addition to enabling the presentation and discussion of their work with experts, these conferences provide a unique opportunity to engage with the latest scientific innovations and to establish collaborative networks.

In this context, SPCE-TC establishes the SPCE-TC Travel Award, intended to financially support participation in an international scientific conference held abroad, based on demonstrated merit of the work to be presented as well as justification of its alignment with the general objectives and mission of SPCE-TC.

Article 2 — Purpose of the award

The SPCE-TC Travel Award aims to support the travel of a young researcher to international conferences held abroad to present high-quality scientific work in the fields of stem cells, regenerative medicine, or cell therapy.

The applicant must be the first author (sole or shared) of the work to be presented, either as an oral communication or poster.

Article 3 — Award amount

The award has a value of 500 euros.

Article 4 — Eligibility

The award is intended for young researchers who are SPCE-TC members, with membership fees duly paid, and who, at the time of application, are:

  • MSc or PhD students; or
  • PhD holders who defended their thesis less than three years before the application deadline for the SPCE-TC Travel Award. Periods of maternity or paternity leave, as well as prolonged illness (upon presentation of proof), are not counted toward this three-year limit.

Article 5 — Application

Applications must be submitted by email to SPCE-TC and include the following documents:

  • A short Curriculum Vitae of the applicant (maximum of two A4 pages);
  • A document containing the title, authors, and abstract of the work to be presented at the conference;
  • A motivation letter, with a maximum of one A4 page, describing, among other points, the originality, interest, and relevance of the work for scientific advances in the field, as well as a justification of the scientific alignment of the conference with the objectives and mission of SPCE-TC;
  • Proof of enrolment in an MSc or PhD program, or a PhD degree certificate.

Article 6 — Calls and deadlines

  1. Two SPCE-TC Travel Awards are granted per year, through two independent calls:
    • 1st call: application period from 16 February to 16 March; for conferences taking place between 15 April and 31 July.
    • 2nd call: application period from 1 June to 30 June; for conferences taking place between 1 August and 14 April of the following year.
  2. Each call corresponds to the awarding of one prize.
  3. Each applicant may submit only one application per call.

Article 7 — Evaluation of applications

  1. Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
    • Scientific quality of the communication;
    • Relevance of the conference to the objectives of SPCE-TC;
    • Scientific curriculum of the applicant.
  2. In the event of a tie, priority will be given to applicants who:
    • Have not previously received support or grants awarded by SPCE-TC;
    • Are PhD students enrolled in the 3rd or 4th year, or PhD holders within three years after obtaining the degree;
    • Present their work in the form of an oral communication.

Article 8 — Jury

  1. Applications will be assessed by an independent jury composed of five PhD researchers appointed by the SPCE-TC Board.
  2. Jury members commit to maintaining confidentiality regarding the applications submitted and to not using the information for any other purpose.
  3. Any omissions in this regulation will be resolved by the jury.

Article 9 — Decision

  1. Jury decisions are made by simple majority and are not subject to appeal.
  2. The jury may decide not to award the prize if it considers that the applications submitted do not meet the required scientific quality.

Article 10 — Publication of results and payment of the award

  1. Results will be communicated to all applicants by email.
  2. Payment of the SPCE-TC Travel Award will only be made after the applicant submits proof of acceptance of the oral/poster presentation at the conference.

Article 11 — Obligations of award recipients

Recipients of the SPCE-TC Travel Award commit to:

  • Explicitly acknowledge SPCE-TC support in the presentation;
  • Send SPCE-TC proof of attendance at the event within two months after the conference;
  • Authorize the dissemination of the award through channels deemed appropriate by SPCE-TC.

Article 12 — Omissions

Any omissions in this regulation will be resolved by the SPCE-TC Board.