The Society for Renaissance Studies welcomes applications of financial support for conferences, especially those which encourage the participation of undergraduate or postgraduate students.

In recent years the Society has made numerous contributions towards the cost of bursaries and travel expenses allowing many students to attend their first conference or to give their first paper.

Recent conferences supported in this way include: Art Re-formed (Sussex), The Mistress Court of Mighty Europe (Bangor), The Witchcraft Act 1604 (Durham), Italian Forum (Manchester), ‘Superstition’ and the Underground of Belief in Early Modern Europe (Manchester Metropolitan), and Marsilio Ficino: Laus Platonici Philosophi (London).

Protocols for Conference Funding

1. Every applicant for financial support should be a member of the Society for Renaissance Studies. In cases where the applicant is not a member proposals for support should be accompanied by a completed membership form.
2. Applications for support should include the name and contact details of the conference organiser as well as a short (one paragraph) description of the conference. Applicants may also append a list of speakers.
3. Applications must specify other sources of funding which have been secured, have been approached, or are under consideration.
4. The Council will normally consider applications for sums of up to c. £1000, and will give priority to the support of postgraduate participation (as delegates, chairs, speakers, or in an ancillary capacity). Applicants should specify the sum requested and briefly outline how it will be used (spreadsheets or condensed provisional estimates of conference expenditure may be appended).
5. One copy of each application should be sent in electronic or hard-copy format to the Conference Co-ordinator no later than two weeks before one of the Council’s three regular meetings (usually the first or second Friday in October, January, and May), and at least three months before the date of the conference.
6. The officers of the Council shall discuss applications, make funding decisions, or request further information about applications.
7. The Conference Co-ordinator will inform the applicant of the Council’s decision as soon as possible after the Council meeting at which it was considered. In cases where clarification is sought the applicant should provide this no less than two weeks before the subsequent Council meeting. Unsuccessful applicants may submit an application, amended in response to the Council’s decision.
8. Successful applicants will be reimbursed by the Treasurer of the Society and should provide all necessary receipts.
9. Successful applicants are required to mention the support of the Society for Renaissance Studies in all conference literature, websites, mailings, or other media, and to circulate Membership Forms for the Society at the conference.
10. Successful applicants are required to offer conference registration to members of the Society for Renaissance Studies on a discounted basis.
11. Successful applicants are required to submit a report (c. 1000 words) to be published in the Bulletin of the Society for Renaissance Studies at the earliest opportunity and, ideally, within three months of the conference.
12. Successful applicants  are expected to abide by these protocols and failure to do so will result in funds being withheld.

Conference organisers are invited to submit a summary description of their conference, requested amount (anywhere between £50-£500, or more in some circumstances), and proposed use of grant to:

SRS Conference Co-ordinator:

Professor Claire Jowitt
School of Arts, Communication and Culture
Nottingham Trent University
Clifton Lane
Nottingham, NG11 8BS
Email: claire.jowitt@ntu.ac.uk

The Conference Co-ordinator can make decisions on applications for funds of less than £350 without recourse to Council; SRS Council meets to consider larger grants in October, January, and May. Successful grant recipients are requested to mention the Society in their publicity and include a small version of the Society's logo on their website with a link to the SRS site.