Awards and Travel Grants

Young Researcher Competition

Best poster award

To be communicated

PhD travel grants for the 80^th RILEM Annual Week in Nairobi, Kenya

RILEM is aware that young researchers from low- and medium income countries are often lacking the funds to attend international conferences but also has a great interest in including these researchers in RILEM activities. Therefore, the PhD grant provides travel assistance to young researchers, from lower- and middle-income countries, who otherwise may not be able to attend a RILEM Annual Week (RAW).

Application for the grant is open to PhD students or PhDs who graduated in 2026 (Limited to 2 submissions per institution on a “first come, first serve” basis) and who are:

Under the age of 35 at the date the 80^th Annual Week is held.
Residing in any of the countries where a special discounted RILEM membership fee is applicable. Please refer to the RILEM webpage for a complete list of these countries.
Not awardees of previous editions of this grant.

Applicants should submit their abstract before 01 February 2026 to the 80^th Annual Week via the standard conference route. Upon acceptance of the conference abstract, and no later than 01 March 2026, applicants must then send an email to RILEM assistants at assistant@rilem.org, with the following information:

One-page personal statement (PDF or DOCX formats) on letterhead
Abstract as submitted and notification of acceptance
A one-minute motivational video emphasizing on what attending a RILEM event means and the benefits
A CV including the grades and if possible, a list of the candidate’s publications
A supporting letter from the PhD supervisor for PhD students accentuating on the quality of the candidate (Top 1, Top 5 or Top 10) OR a certificate that indicates the date in which the PhD degree was awarded (only for recently graduated PhDs)
A budget proposal for the expected expenditure to attend the event (that can include travel, visa, accommodation, and subsistence). The budget estimate should be made with due diligence, as overestimation could reduce the number of possible grants.

Awardees will be asked to present their work at the 80^th RILEM Annual Week.

The awardees will be selected by an international jury, based on:

The scientific and technical quality of the abstract submitted to the 80^th Annual Week (although the selection is based on the abstract only, candidates must submit also a paper).
The one-page supporting statement and the one-minute motivational video, to be prepared and submitted by the applicant together with the accepted abstract, explaining how the RILEM PhD Grant will enhance the applicant’s career development and prospects, including future participation in RILEM activities.
The priorities set by the RILEM Educational Activities Committee EAC for the involvement of young researchers.

Awardees will receive:

A lump-sum up to €2,000.00 (based on the budget proposal and submitted to the validation of RILEM) to support the attendance in person of the 80^th RILEM Annual Week.
Waived registration fees of the 80^th RILEM Annual Week.
A 3-year RILEM free membership
The opportunity to have a formal meeting with the RILEM Presidency at the conference.

Travel grants for senior African researchers