BGS event grants

The BGS has a history of providing grants to encourage medics and healthcare professionals with limited study budgets to access educational opportunities.

We have now streamlined the grants we offer, making them easier to apply for and allowing a greater number of members to access them. You can find out more about applying for a new BGS event grant on this page.

Members in Category B, C and D are now eligible to apply for a new BGS event grant. This will cover the registration cost for a BGS conference, either virtually or in person. Applications can be submitted from the event registration page, and should be requested and approved before completing registration.

Who is eligible to apply for a grant?

Grants for BGS educational events are available to members of the BGS who have been a member for one year or more at the time of application. They are restricted to those in the following categories of membership:
  • Category B – Medics in training roles (Foundation year, IMT, registrars, clinical fellows) and SAS grade doctors without study budget
  • Category C – Nurses and AHPs, as well as Pharmacists and Physician Associates
  • Category D – Undergraduate students – medics, nurse and AHPS
You can find out more about membership categories here. Further information about applications and eligibility can be found below.

Eligibility critera

In order to apply for a BGS event grant, you must:

  • Have been a continuous member for at least a year.
  • Be in the appropriate membership category (B, C or D).
  • Have approval from your educational or clinical supervisor and declare that there are no sources of funding available from your employer.
  • Apply as early as possible ahead of the conference to ensure sufficient time for your application to be considered and (if successful) your registration to be confirmed.
  • Apply when there are available grant places. The number of spaces left will be shown during the application process.

You will be ineligible to apply for a grant if you:

  • Have received a BGS grant in the past two years (even if you did not attend the event).
  • Register (and pay) in advance of the grant application being approved by BGS. This can take up to 5 days.
  • Provide inaccurate information in your application. Grants can be rejected or rescinded if any of the information supplied is found to be erroneous.
The BGS Spring Meeting 2023 is open for grant applications.

How do I apply for a grant?

We have streamlined the application process for our grants to ensure the maximum number of members can benefit.

To apply for a grant, follow the steps below: 

  • Log into the BGS website.
  • Select the BGS event you are interested in attending from our main events page. 
  • Click the pink 'Register online' button on the right hand side of the screen (or near to the bottom of the screen on a mobile device). If this button is not visible, the event is not yet open for registration, so please try again later.
  • If you meet the eligibility criteria above, you will have the option to register for a grant for the event at the top of the registration form. If you believe you are eligible but this option is not displayed, please email membership [at] bgs [dot] org [dot] uk and we will check your membership status and eligibility.
  • Choose how you would like to attend the event (online or in person) and complete and submit the grant application form. Do not register for the meeting at this stage.
  • Our team will review your application and communicate the outcome via email, usually within 5 days.
  • If you are successful, register for the event as instructed in the outcome email. If you are unsuccessful, you can submit a new application for a grant for an alternative meeting, provided you meet the eligibility criteria.

How often can I receive a grant?

Grant applications are restricted to one award per member every two years. You may only apply for a grant after being a member of the BGS for a minimum of 12 months. 

When can I apply for a grant?

We recommend that you apply as early as possible to secure your preferred event and registration type (virtual or in-person) as there are limits to the number of spaces available. Places are issued on a first come, first served basis. We cannot accept new grant applications less than 8 weeks before the event is due to occur.

What can I use the grant for?

Grants are valid for a specific member to attend a specific event and are not transferrable between members or events.
 
These grants are exclusively for attendance at our own BGS events, which includes our large annual meetings (such as our Spring and Autumn meetings) and smaller national, regional and SIG meetings.
 
There will be a cap on the number of places available per event via the grants scheme.
 
If you apply for a grant to attend in person and subsequently cannot attend the physical event, or if there are no remaining spaces for in-person attendance, we can transfer your registration to a virtual place. This will still allow you to catch up on all the content online for 12 months following the event.
 
If you are allocated an in-person grant place and can no longer attend in person you must contact us to swap your registration type or cancel your registration. Failure to do so will result in you being recorded as having received a grant, meaning you will be unable to reapply within the time periods specified above. If the event itself is cancelled by BGS your grant will be voided and you may reapply for another event.