Laboratory Exchange Grant

What is the Laboratory Exchange Grant?

The ISN Laboratory Exchange Grant supports international scientific exchange within the neurochemistry community by helping young ISN members visit a laboratory abroad. Designed for ISN Student and Postdoc Members, the grant provides funding to develop new technical or conceptual skills, strengthen research collaborations, and bring new knowledge back to the applicant’s home institution.

The grant supports short-term visits of at least one month (30 days) and up to approximately three months. Longer stays may be considered if additional funding is secured from other sources. Travel must take place within 12 months of receiving the acceptance letter, and applicants are expected to return to their country of origin at the end of the visit.

Funding

The Laboratory Exchange Grant provides up to USD 5,000 per successful application, depending on travel costs, accommodation costs, and the duration of the visit.

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Funding may only be used for:

• Travel
• Accommodation
• Insurance

Laboratory expenses such as consumables are expected to be covered by the host laboratory.

Eligibility

Candidates

Applicants must be:

• ISN Student Members or ISN Postdoc Members
• Continuous ISN members for at least 24 months, or authors who have published in the Journal of Neurochemistry at the time of the application round
• Active ISN members in the year of the visit abroad

Students and postdocs who have not continuously renewed their ISN membership each year are not eligible to apply.

Hosts

Host laboratories must meet the following requirements:

• The host must be an established researcher leading an independent research group
• The host institution must be in another country
• The host must confirm in a supporting letter that laboratory costs related to the proposed work will be covered by the host lab
• Each host lab may support only one visiting young ISN member per calendar year through this scheme

Duration of Visit

Supported visits must last at least 30 days and may extend to approximately three months.

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Longer visits may be considered only where additional funding is available from other sources. Applicants must complete their travel within 12 months of receiving the award offer.

Application Evaluation Criteria

Applications for the Laboratory Exchange Grant are evaluated based on:

• Eligibility of both the applicant and the host
• The applicant’s track record
• The scientific quality of the proposed project
• A clear connection between the proposed visit and the applicant’s current research project

Required Documents

Applications must be submitted as a single PDF and should include:

• Supporting letter from the host
• Supporting letter from the supervisor or PI at the home institution
• Completed application form containing:
  • Career information of the applicant
  • Publication list
  • Previous awards and funding received
  • Information about the host laboratory
  • Project description (maximum 3 pages)
  • Budget calculation, including any other funding available or requested for the same purpose

Payment and Reporting Requirements

The grant funding is transferred directly to the individual account of the awardee.
Successful applicants must also follow these requirements:

• Any change of host laboratory or major change to the project must be approved in advance by the Laboratory Exchange Committee Chair and ISN Treasurer
• If ISN is not informed in advance, the grant may be cancelled or funds may need to be returned
• A short written report must be submitted within two months of completing the visit
• Awardees must also provide a short informative statement about the outcome of the exchange visit

Need help?

Have questions about eligibility, application requirements, or planning your visit? Visit our Grants & Awards FAQ page for guidance and answers to common questions.