We are pleased to announce that grants of up to £500 are now available to academic, research, PS and technical support staff to help support extra-carer costs associated with attendance at conferences, training events and similar career and professional development activities.  Application form can be accessed here.

About this carer support grant

The purpose of the Carer Support Fund is to assist all colleagues with home responsibilities wishing to attend an appropriate conference or training course by contributing towards the cost for extra-care responsibilities whilst attending the meeting. This fund has been established by the School of Health Sciences in recognition that many members of staff have caring responsibilities that can affect their ability to travel to and attend such events, but that attendance is important in career development and progression. Applications may be supported for up to £500, with higher amounts being considered if there is good reason and justification to exceed this amount.  Decisions will be made based on eligibility and clear justification.  Approval should be sought by a line manager and verified by the appropriate Head of Division. Please note that applications will be limited to one claim per trip and two claims per person per academic year, and can only be claimed retrospectively.

Eligibility

• The award is available to all staff of all genders with caring responsibilities.
• Support of up to £500 per successful application/trip will be allocated, however higher amounts may be  considered if there are circumstances where this may not cover associated care costs. Costs have been  calculated based on conferences/training event attendance @£20 per hour for registered professional support, 6h per day, providing 2-3 days cover, including some travel costs.
• Examples of costs to be covered include care for children, elderly parents, disabled family member etc.
• Applicants must have received support to apply from their line manager and the relevant Head of Division.
• The activity must be relevant to the work of the applicant and should contribute to the University portfolio, this may be identified during P&DRs/review meetings etc.
• The applicant must be actively involved in a conference / training course, e.g., giving a presentation, facilitating a workshop, acquiring a new skill to improve UoM output. Options should be discussed and agreed at P&DR or at other meetings with the applicant’s Line Manager.
• The applicant should state on the application form why they need additional support and outline their normal care-giver arrangements, providing any supporting evidence.

Decisions will be based on eligibility and justification.
All applications must be supported by the applicants Line Manager or Head of Division.
Applications must be submitted to the Head of Division no later than 4 weeks prior to the event.

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