Vision at Conference beyond our Talk

Whether it’s a sari-clad lady scientist contributing to Mars Orbiter Mission, or Marie Curie for her ground breaking research on radioactivity, being an innovative researcher for a woman is also more than creating something new.Choosing academic research as a career hasn’t been so easy for women with its long hours, societal biases and the need to get married and have children in between. Eileen Pollack, Professor, University of Michigan described that women were leaving profession not because they weren’t gifted, but because of the ‘slow drumbeat of being underappreciated, feeling uncomfortable and encountering road blocks along the path of success.’ A diversity of experiences and perspectives boost up woman’s morale to stand strong and strive hard to succeed. More specifically, connections with other women whose interests match, who encounter same career hurdles and who face same obstacles will build a positive energy for encouragement and empowerment.

Networking can be done by involving ourselves in various activities. Generally, Scientific Conferences often act as a welcomed source of motivation for women like us at bench. Beyond hearing inspiring stories, we see how others solved problems similar to ours, which may help move us past the obstacle in our own research. Other professional activities can bring us into the research network as well; volunteer for program committees, send your resume to book review editor, offer to give seminars at other universities, write conference and workshop papers and send them to people you have met or would like to meet, or organize a workshop on your subfield at larger conference. Mentoring junior grad students and undergrad students is a good investment in the long run ; It comes with a two sided advantage of providing valuable service for them and leaving an impression of knowledgeable and resourceful on you. Finding specific mentors can also be very useful. A colleague at another institution who gives you advice, feedback on drafts of papers, and suggestions for research directions is always valuable in research domain.Networking is also fundamental to getting a job in academia. Though job selection is transparent and mostly meritocratic, selection committee will most likely hire someone they know and that they get along with when choice is among similar profiles. Although academic work is mostly individual, there is social side to it. If you are a girl just entering a research community, conference is right event for socialization with colleagues from other institutions.

Ideally, listening to presentations at conference will inform us of what others are doing, will inspire research ideas of our own, will expose us to different styles of presentation. Though listening to presentations is extremely valuable, hallway conversations can be even more fruitful. More than a work related trip to a possibly exotic locale, attending a conference is professionally rewarding experience with its opportunity to converse with other researchers.

We can’t be shy about approaching new people and stay glued to our close colleagues of home institution. It’s time to gather up our courage and talk about our work with others. Most of the people over there who seem to be gregarious are once in exactly same position. They have trained themselves to be that way overtime. Now it’s our turn to frame our work in a conveyable manner, plan our pitch and speak up our research; though its mediocre in the beginning eventually we refine it through interactions at conference. There are occasionally women’s lunches, which if available, are recommended to join. Trying to have meals with folks is really a good way to meet them.

P.S. : The content shared in this webpage is solely aimed to provide the list of resources for making it to a conference. The information given is purely drawn from the author's knowledge and peer experience. The author holds no way responsible if the information doesn't match the needs of a particular conference. For further information, you can write to us at : ieeewiekgp@gmail.com or karishma.rgukt@gmail.com. Happy reading!

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Travel Grant

1. Application
2. From Organizers
3. From Funding Agencies
4. Supporting Documents

Applying for a Travel Grant

Many become enthusiastic about going to one, but that enthusiasm is replaced by disappointment when we consider costs, which typically involve travelling to a different city or country, hotel accommodation for a few days, conference registration fees, as well as other costs. Students may be able to apply for a travel award from their school to help cover the costs of attending a conference or a professor’s research grant may pay some or all of the costs. Normally, only students who will be presenting something at conference will be eligible for such support. This generally means that nearly all student attendees at research conference are affiliated to one or another research funding support.

Travel Grant may be used for the following expenses towards attending the conference like registration fees, transportation fare, visa fees, accommodation, meals, local transportation, incidental expenses that are related to attending the conference. The grant amount may vary for intracontinental and intercontinental conference travels. In addition, if the award is for attendance at one of the home group conferences, the funding group may provide free or complimentary conference registration and even, a mentor during conference. It has to be noted that reimbursement is only done after the conference once the relevant documents like Conference Report, Payment Receipt and Accommodation Slip are submitted.

For the research students studying at Indian Institute of Technology – Kharagpur (IIT KGP), the institute can provide fund for the conference with institute assistantship. As you login through ERP, you can submit for funding through institute assistantship. You should provide letter of paper acceptance and other conference details from your profile. The application has to be forwarded though the supervisor to the Head of the Department (HOD). After getting signed by the HOD, the application has to be submitted in the institute academic section. All the grant applications are processed in the first week of every month, and result memo is released. The amount is refunded after the conference travel. If partial assistance is needed before the conference travel, a letter has to be forwarded through the supervisor to the Dean requesting the fund. If your case seems convincing to the Dean, the fund will be allocated to your supervisor’s account. Once you return from the conference, submit all the receipts and necessary documents signed by the supervisor in Student Scholarship Section. The amount will be refunded in a period of 45-60 days.

Travel grants from other sources aid students at Indian Universities with funding to help them attend conferences outside India. The student doesn’t have to present a paper at the conference she attends. This grant is an author aid aimed at providing support for women in engineering domain to attend research conferences.

Travel Grant from the Conference Organizers

The top-tier conferences encourage students to participate in their conferences by partially subsidizing the travel cost to an extent of those who would be unable to attend it. Support is available internationally to selected potential students without sufficient travel funding. The amount to be awarded to each applicant is determined by the travel grant chair and the treasurer of the conference. The flagship conferences have multiple sources of funding like industrial conference sponsors or large research funding organizations so they can cover students around the world.

Before applying for the conference grant, always read the conference’s grants policy and application infrastructure. Though the grants policy varies from one conference to the other, all the organization committees strive to enable as many applicants as possible to attend the conference. Like other funding agencies, the travel grant is reimbursed only after the conference. Even if it’s a financial hardship to pay the travel expenses out of one’s own pocket, the conference grant chairs will most likely be unable to help some in this regards. Eithers supervisor or the personal contacts has to come to one’s rescue.

The policy governing the award may expect the student to book the flight via certain carriers, or to stay at the conference hotel, or to share the hotel room with a fellow student. Hence, it is strongly recommended not to purchase or book any part of the conference trip before the grant is confirmed. If the constraints are not taken seriously, there exists a real risk of getting stuck with a part of the bill. When in doubt about any policy, it is advised to double check with the chairs too.

The organizers often assume that the paper author presenting the work will have sufficient funding from their institution to attend the conference. For the authors who are applying for conference grant, it is recommended to be upfront about the authorship and the necessity of grant. Larger conferences generally organize special workshops. For the authors selected for either oral or poster sessions, these workshops are a boon. Acceptance to then workshops enhances the chance of getting a travel grant.

Travel grant applications should be sent as early as possible, particularly if visa has to be obtained to attend the conferences. Make sure to mention about the visa processing time line in the application. If someone’s travel grant application has been turned down previously by the same conference or another one by the same organizations, mentioning this fact increases a chance of getting the grant this time. It is most important to make sure that the application mentions the correct conference name.

Reimbursement is done only after the conference for the grant recipients. After the conference, the awardees can contact travel grants chain or organizing committee for reimbursement procedure. Understanding reimbursement fully before mailing the required documents saves additional mail round trip. Money can transfer directly, into your account or given in the form of check. After sending the paperwork, it is also fine to follow up a fortnight later to check on the status. Being distinct and sending right receipts speeds up the process.

Travel Grant from the Funding Agencies

Travel grants are also available from the funding agencies to support young researchers and students of recognized institutions to attend or present the work in the international conferences. Following are a list of prospective sponsoring agencies for financial support for participating in national and international conferences and research related works.

1. IEEE WIE Travel Grant
2. DST Travel Support Scheme
3. Ratan Tata – Navajbai Ratan Tata Trust Scheme
4. CICS Grant Scheme
5. DBT Travel Grant
6. CSIR Fellowship
7. AICTE Scheme of Travel Grant
8. ICSSR Grant Scheme
9. ICMR Fellowship
10. NBHM - DAE Grant
11. Google Travel Grant
12. IARCS Travel Grant
Title : IEEE WIE Travel Grant
Granting Agency : IEEE Women In Engineering Travel Grant
Qualification : Undergraduate/ Graduate / Doctoral Students
Age Limit : No specification
Award Amount : Up to 750$
Deadline : Atleast 3 months before travel
Procedure : Online application through mail
Website : https://www.ieee.org/membership_services/membership/women/wie_travel_grant.html

Title : DST International Travel Support Scheme
Granting Agency : Science & Engineering Research Board, Department of Science & Technology
Qualification : Active Researcher who have not availed grant under this scheme in last three years
Age Limit : Young Scientists below 35 years
Award Amount : Economy Air Fare, Visa Fees, Registration Fees for the Conference
Deadline : Two months before travel
Procedure : The application should be forwarded through proper channel and must reach at least two months prior to the date of the event.
Website : https://serb.gov.in/its.php

Title : Tata Educational/Travel Grant
Granting Agency : Ratan Tata Trust and Navajbai Ratan Tata Trust
Qualification : Student or Professional - PhD with regular position in research institute, Indian nationality
Age Limit : Not specified
Award Amount : Partial airfare
Deadline : Educational Grant – May 31; Professional Grant – Four months before departure
Procedure : Travel Grant Application to be submitted includes a) Written application b) Statement of Purpose c) Resume. Confirmed Admission Letter from the University abroad should also be included for Education Grant. Letter of invitation from organizers, along with letter of leave of absence from employers has to be submitted. No email submission is entertained.
Website : https://www.srtt.org/individual_grants/individual_grants.htm

Title : INSA-CSIR-DAE/BRNS-DOS/ISRO-CICS Travel Fellowship Programme
Granting Agency : Centre for International Cooperation in Science
Qualification : For Indian Scientists/Researchers affiliated to Indian Institutions
Age Limit : Not Specified
Award Amount : Partial travel, registration fee
Deadline : 30 April; 30 June; 31 August; 31 October; 31 December; 28/29 February
Procedure : Travel Grant Application to be submitted includes a) Detailed CV b)Date Of Birth Proof c)Letter of Invitation from Organizers d) Copy of Travel Agency invoice for to-and-fro journeys at economy excursion airfare e) Two letters of recommendation. The letter of recommendations, one from the research guide and the other from the relevant knowledgeable person about applicant’s research, have to be confidential reports submitted directly to CICS.
Website : https://www.cics.tn.nic.in/html/fellowship_for_indian_national.html

Title : DBT Travel Support
Granting Agency : Department of BioTechnology
Qualification : Professional PhD
Age Limit : Less than 50
Award Amount : Partial/ Full Expense
Deadline : 2 months before travel
Procedure : Online application
Website : https://dbtctep.gov.in/

Title : CSIR Travel Grant
Granting Agency : Centre for Science and Industrial Research
Qualification : For Indian Scientists/Researchers affiliated to Indian Institutions
Age Limit : Less than 40
Award Amount : Partial Expense
Deadline : Applications are processed at the beginning of Financial Year
Procedure : Online Application
Website : https://csirhrdg.res.in/tg.htm

Title : AICTE Conference/Seminar/Symposium Grant
Granting Agency : All India Council for Technical Education
Qualification : Full time regular faculty in AICTE Approved Institutions
Age Limit : Not Specified
Award Amount : Total Expense or INR 1 Lakh for National and INR 2 Lakh for International respectively, whichever amount is less
Deadline : 2 months before travel
Procedure : Online Application
Website : www.aicte-india.org/downloads/RID%204_Travel%20Grant.docx

Title : ICSSR Conference/Seminar/Workshop Grant
Granting Agency : Indian Council of Social Science Research
Qualification : Active Researcher who have not availed grant under this scheme in last three years
Age Limit : Not Specified
Award Amount : Partial / Full Expense based on the Student Profile
Deadline : 3 months before travel
Procedure : Travel Grant Application to be submitted includes a) Written Application b) Detailed CV c)Letter of Invitation from Organizers d) Copy of Travel Agency invoice for to-and-fro journeys at economy excursion airfare e) Date Of Birth Proof f)Conference Paper g) Institutional Profile for non-Public Institutions. All applications have to be submitted in soft copy either through email or online application as the case may be and subsequently a hard copy of the application along with enclosure is also required to be sent, which must be duly forwarded on the prescribed format of the application form with signatures and duly forwarded by the Research Supervisor/Head of the Organization/Institution.
Website : https://www.icssr.org/new/page.php?category=International-Collaboration-_-Collaborative-Seminars&name=Travel-grant

Title : ICMR Scientist Grant
Granting Agency : Indian Council for Medical Research
Qualification : Active Researcher who have not availed grant under this scheme in last three years
Age Limit : Young Scientists below 35 Years
Award Amount : Full Expense
Deadline : 6 weeks before travel
Procedure : Travel Grant Application to be submitted includes a) Written Application b) Detailed CV c)Letter of Invitation from Organizers d) Copy of Travel Agency invoice for to-and-fro journeys at economy excursion airfare e) Date Of Birth Proof f)Conference Paper g) A copy of letter from other National/International agency committing to bear partial cost of Travel. The application should be forwarded through proper channel and must reach ICMR 6 weeks prior to the date of the Conference/ Seminar/ Symposium/ Workshop. Letter of acceptance, sanction received late, also must be submitted at least 3 weeks before the conference.
Website : https://icmr.nic.in/forms/travel_non_icmr.htm

Title : NBHM Grant
Granting Agency : National Board for Higher Mathematics, Department of Atomic Energy
Qualification : Mathematician with regular position in research institute, Indian nationality
Age Limit : Not Specified
Award Amount : Partial/Full Assistance
Deadline : 3 months before travel
Procedure : Online Application
Website : https://www.nbhm.dae.gov.in/docs/TG-APP-DOC.doc

Title : Google Conference Grant
Granting Agency : Google
Qualification : Strong Academic Background; Must be able to attend the core day of the specified conference
Age Limit : Not specified
Award Amount : Partial Assistance
Deadline : 1 month before travel
Procedure : Online Application
Website :https://www.google.com/edu/scholarships/google-travel-and-conference-grants/

Title : IARCS Travel Grant
Granting Agency : ACM India - Indian Association for Research in Computing Science
Qualification : Graduate / Doctoral Students
Age Limit : No specification
Award Amount : INR 60,000 - 1,00,000
Deadline : Not specified
Procedure : Online application through mail
Website : https://www.iarcs.org.in/activities/grants.php

Disclaimer : This is only a list of suggestions, and the author is not advertising or connected to the listed sponsoring agencies. The information given is not complete, and may be subjected to change. Hence the researchers are requested to visit the respective notices/websites for detailed and updated information. The author holds no way responsible if the information doesn't match the needs of a particular conference. For further information, you can write to us at : ieeewiekgp@gmail.com or karishma.rgukt@gmail.com.

Supporting Documents for the Travel Grant

All the necessary documents that are to be enclosed with the travel grant application will be given in the conference site. Here are the list of the documents to be submitted before or after the conference travel.

Travel Grant Application: While you write a grant application, convey your academic status, describe your interests and explain why attending the conference matters to you. Make sure to include a convincing demonstration that you actually depend on the grant in order to attend the conference. Most importantly, be realistic in regard to your financial needs. State the approximate amount of money you need in order to enable the attendance. Factors like being a first time attendee and belonging to an underrepresented community may help increase the rank of your application. Also make sure to mention if your application for travel grant has been turned down at the same conference or another one by the same organization. You should briefly summarize your research interests, accomplishments and plan of future research. Explain your work in clear and concise manner. Write your application as an academic document, but make sure that it is understandable to general audience as the reviewer may not be from the same background. Of you include the areas of particular interest, conference organizers may ask you to help out at the event by writing session summaries. Make sure to convincingly argue the need for financial support, and demonstrate the real interest in technical area to improve your chances of getting a grant.

A resume: Some grants expect a short, one page resume containing basic information, whereas the other may demand a detailed curriculum vitae including degrees earned, current affiliations, publications, accomplishments and any other information the student feels relevant to support their application. A well-crafted CV can make a difference to your application.

Statement of Purpose: Most of the grants do not ask to submit the intent letter separately. In such cases, do include your statement of purpose in the cover letter. Mention if you are attending a workshop or presenting a poster in the event.

Letter of Invitation: Flagship conferences generally mail you the letter of invitation once your paper is accepted. If not, write the chairs for letter of invitation. If you are applying for travel grant from other funding agencies, this serves as important document.

Supporting Letter: A supporting letter from the advisor that confirms the student’s academic status is mandatory. The advisor may comment on the strengths and potential contributions of the student. If the applicant is a co-author of an accepted paper, the letter from student advisor must indicate if other co-authors are attending the conference and presenting the work. Furthermore, the letter may indicate how attending this conference would benefit the student, the suitability of the conference’s technical program to her research area, and how she could contribute to the conference. The letter may explain current funding status and why the applicant is in need of the travel grant.

Identity proof: A date of birth certificate or student institution card can be submitted as an enclosure.

Copy of Travel Invoice: After attending the conference, you have to include a copy of travel invoice as you ask for reimbursement.

Generally, you will learn the amount of your award long before you start making travel arrangements. This is the maximum amount you will be reimbursed. The grants chair will determine the actual amount of money you will receive in the end based on the receipts you provide.

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Visa

1. Get it
2. To USA
3. To other countries

Getting a Visa

Visas, which are required by many countries that host the conference for the international travelers are provided for a small fee by the foreign country’s embassy or consulate located in the traveler’s home country. To obtain a visa, the traveler must have a current passport. The traveler should allow several weeks to obtain visas, especially if travelling to the developing nations. Visa requirement may change from time to time. Since the purpose of your trip to the other country is for a temporary visit, the visitor visa is the choice. Business visitor visa can be applied to attend the conference in the non-resident countries. Along with Business visa, Transit visa is also helpful. If you are staying for some time in some country before you take next flight to reach your destination you have to have transit visa.

If you already have a visa, check for the expiration date. If you don’t have one, apply as early as possible. You should contact the Embassy Consular Section in the country to determine visa processing timeframes. Each embassy consulate has its own website. This Web site has been created to help you find the information about current visa policy and procedures quickly and easily, based on your own situation and circumstance. Go to the website, and fill the appropriate visa type you need to apply for, the visa fees and all the required documents. Complete and sign the application form and collect all the required documents before applying. It is mandatory that you book an appointment before you can go to the Visa Application Center (VAC) to submit your documents. All visa applications are accepted only if you have made prior appointment. In support of your application, you should gather evidence of your circumstances, employment, ability to meet the costs of the trip and the arrangements in the foreign country.

After you arrive at the Application Center, your appointment letter will be verified. During submission, your documents and visa application form will be checked and verified. Make sure that your application form is complete and signed. All your documents are arranged in the order stated on the checklist. If the application is complete, then your passport, application form and documents will be held temporarily by the application center. After the verification of your application, verify the details as you sign the visa application form. The Visa Officer reserves the right to request additional documentation, if required, in support of your application. Once the application has been completed, the visa application fees has to be paid to the consulate. Application fee varies with the visa type and the destination country. As you pay the fees, biometrics will be collected using a quick process that captures a 10-digit fingerprint scan with a digital finger scanner. As part of the visa application process you may be required to undertake a medical examination, chest x ray and/or other health checks. Make a note that the onus is on you to satisfy the character requirements

Once visa application, fee payment and biometric collection is completed, you have finished the process from your end. For countries like USA and Australia, Biometrics followed by an Interview are also included in the regulations. Some consulates may have backlogs in scheduling visa interviews, so applicants should first contact the consulate to find out how long the wait is for an interview.

Visa Application for USA

Generally, the B-1 visa is for attending academic conferences in US. If you aren’t presenting a paper in the conference to be attended, you may apply for B-2 visa which is for tourist travel and at times, may not require visa also. Check the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) to see if your country is listed -- Some international participants may not need visas if they are citizens of countries on the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). However, all citizens of VWP countries must have a Machine-Readable Passport (MRP) in order to travel to the conference without a visa. For Indians, MRP has been done mandatory since November 25, 2015.

Fill the NIV (Nonimmigrant VISA) form (DS-160). Make sure to provide the information accurate. Small mistakes can delay the visa process. Be specific about the photograph size, and other details. Once you submit the form you can‘t modify it. If your visa got denied previously please fill the new NIV form. Next step is to pay the application fee visa application fee is not refundable. You won’t get your fee back even if your visa got rejected. From the online profile you have created, make the payment. You can make the NEFT payment through net banking or mobile banking. On the payment confirmation screen you will receive a unique account number to which you will send the money. Please keep this unique number as a proof to your payment.

Next step in the application process is scheduling the visa appointment. To schedule the appointment, log in to your profile from which you paid the fees. If you click on schedule appointment tab, you will find the dashboard there. You need to schedule two appointments. First one is for the VISA interview at consulate and second one at VAC (Visa application center). You need to schedule an appointment at VAC at least one day before the interview at consulate to give your finger prints and photo to be taken. In order to schedule your interview, you have to give your passport number, date of the visa fee payment and 10-digit bar code number from your DS-160 confirmation page. You also have to enter your personal information and the type of visa you are applying for.

On the day of appointment at VAC, you need to submit the valid passport and DS-160 confirmation form, appointment confirmation form and a photograph. Similarly, you need to submit the passport, DS-160 confirmation form and supporting documents at the consulate. Supporting documents could be letter of acceptance, student ID card, transcripts, No Objection Certificate (NOC), bank statement, travel grant or sponsor details and your travel itinerary and/or other explanation about your planned trip. If you are an employee, the list additionally includes income tax, past three month pay slip, a proof of your role in the company and the tenure that you have to stay in the company. If you have previously visited the country then any documents attesting to your immigration of visa status are also considered.

Generally, consulate officers have a presumption that all the business visa applicants are the intending immigrants. To overcome this presumption, you should be able to convince the consulate that the conference trip is not permanent by showing the documents of academic affiliations in our own country. You should prove that you are a research student or working professional in the native country and you have social or economic ties, so that you will return for sure.

Your application will then be reviewed by the consular officer and, in many cases, by officials in Washington, D.C. For most applicants, the visa is issued within a few weeks. In some cases, additional reviews will be required. Your information is submitted and checked in the world's foremost security database, which includes comprehensive information drawn from both U.S. and foreign law enforcement agencies worldwide. If your name or your research domain indicates security concerns, the process will be delayed. Further steps will vary from requests for additional information and interviews to official registration and fingerprinting. This may add at least 4–6 weeks to the processing time. On the airplane, you will be asked to complete a short arrival/departure form as visa can only allow you to travel from your country to the port of US. Hence, registration upon arrival in the United States is mandatory in many cases.

Visa Application for Other Countries

The visa application procedure is almost similar for travelling to any country abroad. For European countries, there is no scheduled visa interview mostly. In order to travel to one or more of the Schengen Zone countries of Europe, one needs to apply for a Schengen visa at the designated embassy/consulate. The visa costs same for short stay and airport transit.

For conferences being held in Asian countries like Japan, China and Bangladesh, visa has to be applied. F-Visa is issued for conference visit to China. For Malaysia, Visa on Arrival (VOA) can be the choice during conference travel. For conferences hosted in Singapore, Indian citizens can avail visa through online application with one day processing. If you are travelling to France for the conference, then you should apply for Schengen visa. The first time applicants have to appear in person in order to provide biometric data (fingerprints and digital photography). For subsequent applications within next 59 months, the biometric data will be copied from the previous visa application included in the visa. Hence, they can be handled by representative or travel agent.

When applying for German Schengen visa, it typically can take anywhere from 2 days to 15 days for Germany consulate processing. It depends on the consulate that you need to send the application to and whether you choose to "rush" your Germany visa. The service is optional and to use the service you will need to pay an additional fee. You should apply for Standard Visitor visa for conference travel to UK. UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) do offer priority visa services which allow you to receive your visa application decision quicker. If you pay additional fees for this service, your visa application will be placed at the front of the queue once received by a UKVI’s decision making centre (British mission). Please check with the respective embassy’s website to find more details about this service.

Conference visit to Australia is generally done with ETA subclass 601 visa. The Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) is an electronically stored authority for travel to Australia. An ETA is linked electronically to your passport. It can be seen by staff at airlines, travel agencies and Australian border agencies. You will need your passport, an email address and a credit card to pay the application charge when you apply.

All applicants are required booking an appointment online to submit their application at Visa application center. You are requested to visit the application center on the scheduled appointment date with a print out of the confirmed appointment. Please check the exact requirements on the website of your local embassy consulate. First-time applicants have to submit the application form along with the required documents in person. Frequent travelers may submit their application and documents via an agent or a travel agency. It is recommended you apply for a visa at least 3 weeks before your travel date to meet any processing delays. Please note the visa fees will not be reimbursed in case of the visa being rejected and the price is subject to change at any time.

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Tackling the Mishaps

International travel abroad is filled with excitement have wonderful learning experiences, but this may end up stressful if there are incidents like unforeseen delays, cancellations, interruptions and losses.

MISSED A CONNECTING FLIGHT OR THE LUGGAGE

Direct flights are preferable. When you go for connecting flights, try to have at least a two hour difference between the connecting flights. Also check if you have to commute between different domestic and international terminals. When you miss the connection due to the delay caused by incoming flight or other airline’s errors, you will be given the option of re-booking on the next available flight (own or other airline) or refunding the ticket price. You will also be entitled to duty to care in regard to accommodation, meals, phone calls etc.. based on the local jurisdiction and laws. In many countries, you need a visa to be able to step out of the airport and avail accommodation facilities. Hence, it’s always beneficial to get a transit visa before you plan the journey.

If you miss your connecting flight, don’t get panicked. Get your brains working and be bold. Before you approach the rerouting counter of the airlines, either log into the local wifi and check for the next flight. If you have a representative or travel agent, call her/him and check on your travel options. Armed with this information approach the rerouting counter. You will be offered with a connection via the same airlines. If you have found with another flight from other airlines in your survey, request for that.

When you reach the counter, they will offer you a connection via the same airlines. If there is another flight that you have found in between, request for it (even if it is with any other airlines). In case there is no other flight in between or if this connection is ok with you, then book the new connection. At the same counter, check for your luggage and make sure it has made it to the airport where you are. Before you board the new connection, check with customer care whether your luggage has been loaded onto the same flight as yours.

If you have a transit visa and the delay is more than 8 hours, you can check into a local hotel. If the airlines is not providing the hotel, then check once again with the terms and conditions of the travel insurance so that you can claim it from their policy. Air carrier should provide you with meals, phone calls etc.. If you have to spend on these expenses yourself, then submit all the receipts to the airlines for a reimbursement as soon as possible.

If you miss the luggage, the first thing to be done is filling the missing luggage form. One possible chance can be the delay of the luggage. Airlines have their own ways to track the delayed luggage, and it will eventually be returned. They may reach you through the next flight within few hours. If you missed the luggage as they have been sent to the wrong airport, it may take one to two days to get your luggage back. File the claim at the airport with all your contact details immediately. If the airline loses your baggage, get a written claim for the damages from the authority. Airline compensates to a certain extent for checked luggage on international flights. Airlines refund your paid checked baggage fee too for your lost bag.

LOST PHONE, WALLET OR PASSPORT

Each phone is assigned a unique number called the IMEI, or International Mobile Equipment Identity. If your phone is lost, this number is very important to recovering it. It is always recommended to note this number somewhere safe and secure to access even without your phone. All smart phones today come with a locator to help you find a lost, misplaced, or stolen phone. When you recognize that you lost your phone, retrace your steps from when you last saw your phone. It might have slipped from your pocket or bag, so try giving it a call from another phone. If you are sure that the phone is untraceable or stolen, get ahold of your phone company and let them know what’s going on. They can deactivate the phone and check for any recent usage. And the lost option is reporting to local authorities. Make sure to file a police report with the help of airline authority or hotel’s front desk. Give your IMEI number as you complain.

If you learnt that you lost your wallet or passport, file a police report as soon as possible. This is especially important if you plan on claiming the cost of passport replacement on your travel insurance cover. A police report will also validate your information should someone try to use your passport illegally. Make sure before you leave the police station that you have a copy of the report for your records. Locate the nearest Indian Embassy in the country you are visiting, and schedule an emergency appointment. Do not forget to carry the records of your police complaint along with the specified documents to apply for a new passport at the embassy office.

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Travel Experience:

-Tanwi Mallick

[As in Autumn 2015]

Travelling abroad is an opportunity to learn new things, connect with the productive people and progress ahead. The more you travel, the greater your experiences are. At this point, I would like to share with you the travel experience of Miss Tanwi Mallick, Chair 2015, IEEE WIE AG KGP Section. She is a doctoral student in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT KGP), since December 2011. She travelled to Portugal (VISAPP 2014), Germany (2nd Heidelberg Laureate Forum 2014 & VISAPP 2015), France (Academic Collaboration 2015) and USA (SIGGRAPH 2015). Hope this will give you more insights before you plan your travel.

Applying for the grant:

One can get the grant from many sources and I believe that one should keep a circumspect track of the grant sources and options much beforehand. This will enhance the grant feasibility and avoid the financial hardship during the conference travel. During the Heidelberg project, I got full international travel support from Shri Gopal Rajagarhia Student International Travel Programme of IIT KGP for attending 2nd Heidelberg Laureate Forum. They offered grant to support all my travel expenses. I have also got full international travel support by Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India for presenting research paper at VISAPP 2015. There were some specific documents like transcripts, No Objection Certificate (NOC), Letter of acceptance etc. that has to be submitted along with my application.

If you are a conference attendees from IIT Kharagpur, the checklist is readily available in ERP site. You have to apply for the letter of acceptance from the conference site within a week of the acceptance date, to fasten the process. You can apply for the NOC through ERP site. You should also get a bonafide student certificate from the respective departmental office. Prepare all the documents with utmost care, and make sure to be crystal clear and transparent about everything you state in the application as you submit. Once all your documents ready, and apply for the conference grant through ERP as you travel for any top tier conferences.

You can also write to the conference chairs to provide travel grant. For the TCS, Google or Microsoft sponsored scholars, the corresponding companies also provide fund for the conference travels. You can check the respective sites for the list of all supporting documents required.

Getting the visa:

I have travelled four times so far, once for US and thrice for Europe. I believe getting European visa is easy compare to US visa. When applying for European visa, one has to provide complete details about the travel plan like financial support, contact person over there or where one is going to stay. During my Portugal trip, there was not any interview and the application has only to be submitted at German consulate.

But US visa experience was different. I have travelled to USA for SIGGRAPH-2015. As I am a doctoral student and was not getting any grant from the conference chairs, I had to mention my brother as the financial source for my travel. Friends can also support us, but I prefer relatives. One has to submit the bank statement / IT return/ salary slip of the supporting person. Fill the DS-160 form, pay the visa fees and go for interview. You have to go for biometric one day earlier. During interview, make sure to provide a strong explanation about the reason for your return. In my case, my doctoral studies served to be an apt explanation for the reason to return India after the conference. Make sure to carry letter of invitation, NOC, travel support, student ID card along with the mentioned documents as you attend the interview.

Travel agents are not really necessary if you have experience or strong support from friends who have travelled already. When one makes the travel plan without any agents support, double check with all the instructions given. Photograph has also got its own constraints like face area, dimension etc. in the application. I prefer getting European trips to be handled by travel agents and US trips to be planned individually. Whatever is the options one chooses make sure to get the visa as soon as possible.

Booking & Travel:

While travelling abroad, it is equally important to give considerable time to choose the accommodation. Booking the air tickets, insurance, and hotel reservation can be done through debit and credit cards, as well. Certain debit cards do not support international currency, and one can opt for credit card in such cases. Book the air ticket only after grant is confirmed, or money is arranged. One need not always book the hotels mentioned in the conference site. One can try booking options from multiple sites like booking.com, airbnb.com, hostlers.com by checking the reviews of past customers. Paying guest or b&b (bed and breakfast) option is not very recommended for a girl, unless she is accompanied by other attendees. Though it’s cheap, it may end up risky too. Dormitory also an option, but make sure to choose for girls only as you book. Whichever is the option, double check if it closest to conference venue. Otherwise you may end up spending so much time and money during to and fro journeys during the event. Cabs are costly hence I prefer public transportation. You can download metro manual, and get to know the travel options with fares before you board.

The toughest experience is when my flight from Delhi to Frankfurt delayed and all the further connecting flights have got cancelled during my trip to France. I believe that my preservence and confidence are the two things that made me go forward and approach the connected airlines authorities. I explained them how my previous flight got delayed, and managed to get a ticket for the very next flight. It was an academic trip to France, followed by a conference travel to Germany before I return home. Had had I not made into the very next flight, I would have failed to attend two important work related events in my life. I always make myself prepared for every unseen or unexpected problem during my trip. This has proved beneficial many a times.

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Travel Experience:

-Rajlaxmi Chouhan

[As in Spring 2016]

Travelling to international conferences has a significant effect on the exposure and the confidence of a researcher. Visiting a venue open to international audience of peers greatly enhances one’s understanding of the state-of-the-art. It is also one of the most favourable places to form research networks and initiate collaborations. It is important though to realize the importance of attending flagship conferences over general conferences. I have attended three conferences held abroad – IEEE International Conference on Image Processing (ICIP) 2012 (held at Orlando, US) and 2014 (held at Paris, France), and IEEE International Conference on Visual Communication and Image Processing (VCIP) 2015 (held at Singapore).

Applying for the grant:

Here’s where aiming for flagship conferences helps. For instance, several IEEE societies offer special travel grants to students from developing countries (upto $1000) for their flagship conferences (e.g. IEEE ICIP is a flagship conference of IEEE Signal Processing Society). Other governmental agencies included CSIR (that offer full/half airfare) and DST (that offers full registration, airfare, and visa fee). One may also explore Microsoft and other private sponsorships. It is important to find the right combination of travel grants as most of them cannot be availed again within 3 years.

Getting the visa:

US visa needs painstaking efforts in terms of documents and verification; one must apply as early as possible. Visa to 20 European states (called Schengen Visa) is simple to obtain. Obtaining Singapore Visa is purely an online process..

Booking & Travel:

It is important to plan your travel well in advance, and takes a lot of research. Plan both your conference and your sight-seeing schedule to fully utilize the trip. Find a hotel close to either the conference venue, or close to important tourist spots. Check the program schedule carefully not to miss important talks relevant to your research. Attend the social events and do not miss important cultural places.

Some tips to avoid mishaps:
a. Adhere to the airlines rules regarding baggage, etc.
b. Double check the timings of your presentation and the presentation guidelines. Make sure you adhere to the formal dress code of the occasion (for both academic and social events).
c. Plan your local transportation in advance.
d. Check out the roads and directions to certain places in advance.
e. Carry an umbrella.
f. Wear comfortable shoes for sightseeing.
g. Learn a bit about the local language (in case visiting a non-English-speaking country).
h. Keep your passport safe and with you at all times.