Awards and Grants

The British Society for Population Studies holds several events throughout the year, in addition to the Annual Conference. These are organised by members on topics that they feel merit discussion. Suggestions for future events are always welcomed by the Secretariat, and may be jointly promoted with other organizations. BSPS provides a limited amount of funding and administrative support for these seminars. If you would like to organise a seminar, please use the proposal form below.

Event proposal form

 Announcement of BSPS Early Career Award 2020

The British Society for Population Studies is delighted to announce that it has opened nominations for its Early Career Award. This scheme is aimed at highlighting the achievements of those towards the start of their careers and who have the potential to make a significant contribution to population studies. Any BSPS member who is within 5 years of the start of their career is eligible to be nominated. This is equivalent to 5 years full-time postdoctoral or equivalent work experience, so that nominees may be longer than 5 years into their work experience if they have worked part-time, taken periods of leave, or changed career. Candidates should either (1) be nominated by a BSPS member, or (2) self-nominate, using the Early Career Nomination Form. The prize is an expenses-paid opportunity to give a plenary presentation at the annual BSPS conference, held in September each year.

This is an exciting opportunity to celebrate the achievements of an early career demographer, so please consider nominating yourself and/or colleagues who have made an excellent start to their careers in population studies, and are likely to make significant contributions in the future. Achievements might include service to the demographic community (serving on committees, organizing events, contributing to BSPS) as well as research contributions. We welcome nominations from across the BSPS membership, including academia, local government, central government, or any other sector. Through this scheme we are pleased to be able to extend our early career support, by celebrating the achievements of those who are in the early stages of careers in population studies. We look forward to hearing the second Early Career plenary at our conference in September 2020, to be held at Stamford Court, the University of Leicester 14-16 September. 

Deadline for nominations is 30 April 2020.

 BSPS Early Career Award nomination form 2020

The BSPS Low and Middle Income Countries Initiative has reserved up to £2,000 per annum for activities that encourage collaboration between population demographers in the UK and low and middle income countries. This initiative sponsors an annual visit by a demographer from a low or middle income country who gives a presentation at the BSPS Conference, where they also get the opportunity to meet and develop contacts with UK demographers. The overall aim is to encourage long-term collaboration and joint projects, and it is anticipated that contacts will already exist between the person to be funded, and a UK institution or UK demographers, & that other appropriate meetings will be arranged by the UK contact during the visitor’s stay in the UK. 

The World Bank classification will be used to exclude applications from those working in High Income countries. See:

https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/articles/906519-world-bank-country-and-lending-groups

Criteria to judge between applications will be the country’s average income, the potential to encourage collaboration between that country’s demographers and demographers in the UK, the potential for long-term collaboration and joint projects, the existence of links that can be built on, and the fulfilment of budgetary and other guidance provided by BSPS. 

Suggestions for the use of part or all of the Low and Middle Income Country funding for the year 2019 should be made by FRIDAY 18 JANUARY 2019, to pic@lse.ac.uk for consideration by the BSPS Council at their next meeting in late January. Suggestions would be best supported by a single typed sheet with a draft budget and a note of how the visit would encourage collaboration Bids should also include a detailed timetable of the proposed activities, and should come from the UK-based sponsoring individual or institution only.

BSPS does not currently award direct research grants, but does provide bursaries for members of the society to attend conferences and professional meetings outside the UK. BSPS will normally offer support only for open conferences held overseas and not for internal seminars. International travel grants are not awarded for the attendance of overseas members at the BSPS Conference, or other conferences held in the UK.

Applications will be considered at any time during the year but applications must be made well in advance of the conference date. Grants are awarded on a first come, first served basis, at the discretion of the President and Honorary Treasurer, whose decision is final. A completed application form (below) must be submitted.  

Grants will be awarded up to a maximum of £250. Eligibility criteria include the following conditions:

• Must have been BSPS members for one year before becoming eligible & membership subscription must be up-to-date at the time of application.
• Awards are usually made for oral presentations but posters MAY be considered.
• Presentations must be on a demographic topic 
• Awards will be limited to one per individual every two years, subject to funds being available
• Must have exhausted other funding possibilities such as own department
• Preparation of a report of the conference for the BSPS Newsletter
• Presentation of a financial account
• Entry requirements to the country in question have been satisfied and a visa is in place, if required.

BSPS will monitor said conditions.

BSPS international travel grant application 2015