Travelling Scholarship

Applying to the Fund

We will consider applications from anyone who is interested in travelling abroad to conduct research into an area of consumer policy that could bring benefits to Scottish consumers.  We particularly want to encourage those with innovative or challenging ideas in consumer policy in its broadest sense.  Grants could be made available for research into housing, health and environmental services as well as more ‘traditional’ areas of consumer policy, such as faulty goods and financial services.  We do not accept applications from organisations, only individuals.  Applicants should be resident in Scotland, but can otherwise be of any age, nationality or level of academic achievement.  But we do expect applicants to show enough knowledge and understanding of the particular area they wish to investigate, and a commitment to making their work useful and practical. 

How we will help you

We will pay for:

• Travel expenses
  
• Reasonable living costs while abroad
  
• Costs directly related to the research to be carried out (we will need details)
  

What we expect from you

If your application for a travel grant is successful, it will be a condition of receiving the money that you provide us with a written report about the work you have undertaken during your tour or study period.  We also expect you to give a presentation to a meeting organised by the Trustees about your work.  We will be particularly interested in hearing how you think what you have learned can be applied practically to bring benefits to Scottish consumers.  

If you are awarded a grant we will agree with you the time period within which you will carry out your project.  If for some reason you are unable to go ahead with your project within the agreed period, we will of course expect you to repay any money we may have given you.  

Interested? 

Then write and tell us about yourself, your project, where you want to go and how much money you want from the Fund.  We are particularly interested in attracting applicants who have experienced disadvantages, so if that applies to you, tell us about that too.  You can complete the application online or download the application form, print it off, complete it and return it to us by post or email. 

Alternatively, you can write to us without filling in the application form, but we will need the information requested on the form.  If you do this, try to keep your letter short, a maximum of one A4 page long.

If we are interested in your application, we will invite you for an interview, at our expense, to discuss it in more detail.  We may ask for more information beforehand.