Access Award – Call for Proposals

KBHN National Training Program aims to enhance the training of the next generation of researchers and professionals to develop and implement innovative solutions and services with the potential to improve the lives of children living with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families.

KBHN is excited to offer a limited number of Access Awards to support KBHN members in experiential learning opportunities, including internships, exchanges, and conference participation. The awardees will be featured on the KBHN website, newsletter, and social media.

Award Details

  • Amount: Up to $1,500 to offset the cost of the activity.
  • Eligible Applicants: Applicants must be KBHN members at the time of application (see below for more information on how to join KBHN).
  • Application Deadline: Rolling call until July 19, 2024, or until all funds have been allocated.
  • Award Notice: Two weeks after application submission.

How to Apply

To apply, fill out the application form: Application Form Link.

For any questions, contact the KBHN training team at training@kidsbrainhealth.ca.

Award Requirement 

Before the Event/Activity: Selected applicants must register and provide proof of registration (e.g., purchased conference ticket). Funding will be provided upfront upon receipt of registration proof. Awardees will be featured on the KBHN website, newsletter, and social media platforms. They have to submit a biosketech and a picture.

After the Event/Activity: Recipients must acknowledge KBHN support in their presentation, provide a letter of attendance from the conference organizers, and submit an 800-1000 word blog post reflecting on the activity. Recipients must also provide related photos, which will be posted on the KBHN website.

Sign up to be part of KBHN’s growing and interdisciplinary community that strives to create a better life for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Applicants must be KBHN network members in good standing (students, post-docs, research associates, persons with lived experience, and family members). Priority will be given to persons with lived experience, and family members. If you are not a member of the KBHN network, please join here.
  • Proposed activities should align with KBHN’s goals.
    • Experiential Learning: Collaborating with industrial or community partners in applied settings.
    • Transdisciplinary Learning: Engaging in exchanges with labs and research centers across different academic fields.
    • Conference Participation: Extending the reach of KBHN through new research areas, approaches, and methods.
    • Courses or Summer Institutes: Participating in programs that expand career paths and focus on innovation.
  • The activity must be aligned with KBHN goals and focus on impacting children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families.
  • Access Awards may not be used for salaries or course fees that are part of the awardee’s academic degree program.
  • Awardees may only hold only one Access award each calendar year.
  • For conferences, applicants must be presenters or co-presenters and the award is conditional upon the presentation abstract being accepted. Conferences must occur before August 31, 2024.
  • The award covers only the costs listed below.
    • Activity registration fees.
    • Travel costs, including economical economy class airfare or ground transportation.
    • Accommodation (both hotels and AirBnB are accepted).

Travel Awards for the KBHN Annual Conference and Training Days

Kids Brain Health Network (KBHN) is pleased to offer a limited number of travel awards to support trainees, persons with lived experience and family members to attend and present at the KBHN Annual Conference and Training Days.

KBHN also welcomes applications from trainees who reside and study in low- and middle-income countries as defined by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) at the time of application. Please read the eligibility criteria and further details before applying.

Benefits of Applying

These travel awards are intended to offset some of the costs of presenting and attending the conference and training days, including early-bird conference registration, travel costs (train/airfare and local transport), and accommodation (only for non-local attendees).

Travel awards will be processed in the form of an expense claim following conference participation and submission of receipts.

How to Apply

The call for submissions is currently closed. Please sign up for our newsletter to receive updates about upcoming opportunities.

  1. This award is conditional on your early bird registration for the annual conference;
  2. Priority will be given to applicants who have an accepted abstract that will be presented at the conference. In this case, the applicant must be the first author and presenter of the submitted abstract. There is an exception for people with lived experience and family members co-presenting with another researcher or trainee;
  3. Priority will be given to trainees, persons with lived experience and family members attending both the conference and the training days;
  4. Applicants may have other additional funding but are not permitted to accept the award if the total funds received (from all sources) exceeds the expenses of the conference travel;
  5. Applicants must write a personal statement (200 words maximum) outlining their motivations for attending KBHN Annual Conference and Training Days, and their need for travel support (included in the application form).
I received the travel award and it was an amazing opportunity for me. I participated some years back, and it was online. I have met different people, I’ve met families, and I’ve have different ideas come into my brain because I have the opportunity to attend in person. It’s quite expensive for me because I’m coming from another province, so with the travel award I was able to come to the conference.”

~ Dr. Bilikis Oluwatoyin Banire

Contact Us

We’re here to support you. If you want to learn more about the KBHN Travel Awards and other opportunities for trainees, please contact training@kidsbrainhealth.ca.