Overview

The IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Society (ITSS) is pleased to provide travel grants on a highly competitive basis to authors, especially ones from the developing countries. The grants will be awarded to a limited number of applicants who have a genuine need for support, and the paper quality will be taken into consideration. ITSS membership is required at the time when the application is made. Find out more information on how to join ITSS.

The grants can only be used to cover the travel expenses and conference registration fee for applicants to attend the ITSS flagship conference. The grants, if approved, will be on a reimbursement basis following instructions given to grantees. The IEEE ITSS Conference Committee reserves the right to make the final decision regarding all applications.

All applications must be submitted online. For best consideration for an IEEE ITSS travel grant, applications should be received by the dates noted below under each specific conference. Applications will be considered until the exhaustion of funds. Applicants will be notified of the decision. Successful applicants should make their own travel arrangements and keep receipts; they will receive detailed instructions on grant payment.

Important Notes

  • ITSS membership must be current and active when applying.
  • The maximum amount awarded per person is $1,000 USD. This limitation ensures that more applicants can be supported.
  • Only a limited number of grants will be awarded, and on a highly competitive basis.
  • The grants will be awarded to applicants who have a genuine need for support, and the paper quality may be taken into consideration.
  • The grants can only be used to cover the travel expenses (air tickets cost and accommodation) and conference registration fee for applicants to attend the ITSS flagship conferences. The grants, if approved, will be reimbursed over IEEE NextGen Expense (Concur) through an expense report following the IEEE Expense Reimbursement Guidelines.
  • All applications should be submitted online. For the best consideration, applications should be made by the specified date announced by the IEEE ITSS Conference Committee. Applications will be considered until the exhaustion of funds.
  • The travel grant result will be posted on this website. Applicants will be notified of the decision by email. Successful applicants will be notified with further instructions.
  • The IEEE ITSS Conference Committee reserves the right to make the final decision regarding all applications.
  • IEEE is subject to the full range of U.S. economic sanctions and export control laws and as such IEEE may not be able to provide certain services to certain designated countries or entities or individuals from those countries or entities. A more detailed description of OFAC, economic sanctions and embargoes applicable to IEEE can be found at https://legal.ieee.org/compliance/ofac.

Selection Criteria

The IEEE ITSS Conference Committee will evaluate applications based on the following criteria:

  • Financial Need:  The applicant must demonstrate a genuine need for financial support to attend the conference. The committee will review the applicants’ estimated costs for travel and registration, and the amount of funding already secured from other sources.
  • Paper Quality:  The quality and relevance of the accepted paper will be taken into consideration. The committee will prioritize applicants whose papers contribute significantly to the field of intelligent transportation systems.
  • Geographic Region:  Priority will be given to applicants from developing countries, as the travel grants aim to promote diversity and support members from regions with more limited resources.
  • Previous Funding:  Applicants who have received prior funding from IEEE or IEEE ITSS will be considered but may be given lower priority depending on the available budget and the pool of applicants. This does not disqualify them from receiving the grant.
  • Impact on Career:  The applicants’ statement about how attending the conference will positively impact their career and professional development will be considered.
  • Availability of Funds:  The committee will ensure that the available funds are distributed fairly and equitably among applicants. The maximum grant amount will be $1,000 USD per person, and if additional funds are available, the committee may consider awarding more.

FAQ’s

Unfortunately, no. However, you can join Intelligent Transportation Systems now to become eligible. The ITSS travel grant is one of the many benefits for ITSS members. For your application to be considered, current ITSS membership is required at the time of application. The ITSS membership fee, especially the student fee, is equivalent to only a small fraction of the average size of ITSS travel grants made in recent years. New members may be eligible for a half-year rate for applications submitted between March and August. For more information, please visit the Membership page to learn more. On the same page, you’ll find information about special circumstances for reduced IEEE and ITSS membership fees, often by 50% or more.

Currently, the ITSS travel grant is open to IV and ITSC conferences every year. Individual workshops may arrange some travel support to authors, but it is not through this program. Please check with the workshop organizers for more information.

Unfortunately, no. Applicants must be authors of ACCEPTED papers. ITSS Travel Grants are provided by the IEEE ITS Society on a highly competitive basis to student authors and young professionals authors, higher priority will be given to eligible applicants from developing countries.

If you have a genuine need for travel support and satisfy both the membership and author eligibility requirements, you may apply. Eligible applicants who have already received an ITSS Travel Grant in the past 12 months may have a lower priority compared to those who have not received an ITSS Travel Grant. Based on fund availability and the pool of applications, the IEEE ITSS Conference Committee will determine whether you will be selected this time, and if so, how much funds you will be awarded.

As an ITSS student, if you have a genuine need for travel support and satisfy the authorship requirement, you may apply. Higher priority will be given to eligible applicants from developing countries. Based on the fund availability and the pool of applications, the IEEE ITSS Conference Committee will determine whether you will be selected to receive a grant, and if so, how much funds you will be awarded.

We will follow IEEE’s geographic classification of your membership to determine the eligibility and priority of your grant application. Typically, you will be considered a member of the region, unless your visit is short term, and your membership addresses on your IEEE record state your home country.

Your reference person does not have to be from the same institution. You may ask a senior colleague from another institution and/or another country to serve as a reference if he/she is familiar with your research work. If you wish, you may ask the co-author of your accepted paper to serve as a reference. Please be reminded that by submitting a paper to the respective conference, the author team has committed to have at least one author to attend the conference and present the work in person once the paper is accepted. This commitment is held regardless of the outcome of the ITSS travel grant application.

Having a genuine need for travel support is one of the key requirements. You should only request the amount that is necessary. The IEEE ITSS Conference Committee may grant a different amount from what you requested. You should collaborate with your supervisor and institution/company to identify as many resources as possible to support your travel to the respective conference. You should request only the amount that isn’t covered by other resources. Applications that demonstrate such effort may be considered favorably during the grant selection. Applicants who intentionally provide false or misleading information will be disqualified from the current and future ITSS grant offering.

We are sorry that you are unable to attend the conference, but we do not transfer the grant to another person as you suggest. The committee takes multiple factors into account to make the selection from the pool of candidates. When a grant is declined, the fund goes back to the general pool, and the committee will determine the use of the fund (such as awarding to other applicants in this or a future conference). Please be reminded that by submitting a paper to the respective conference, the author team has committed to have at least one author to attend the conference and present the work in person once the paper is accepted. This commitment is held regardless of the outcome of the ITSS travel grant application.

Yes, the fact that you have received other funds from IEEE or IEEE ITSS will be considered as part of the evaluation process. However, receiving other funds does not disqualify you from applying or reduce your eligibility. The IEEE ITSS Conference Committee will evaluate all applications on a competitive basis, considering your financial need and other factors such as paper quality. If you have additional support, you are expected to request only the remaining amount necessary to cover your travel and registration expenses.

Info for Applicants

To complete an application, applicants must provide:

  • Basic details of the applicant + Applicant’s resume.
  • Details of the accepted paper (conference name, paper number, accepted paper PDF).
  • A statement about how attendance will impact the applicant’s career.
  • A recommendation letter from the applicant supervisor or a senior colleague who is familiar with the work.
  • Estimate costs in USD during the application process.

Applications undergo a competitive evaluation process. Successful applicants must submit proof of conference registration and travel (boarding passes and ticket receipts) to claim the travel grant. Detailed instructions regarding the reimbursement process will be communicated.

If you have any questions, please reach out to us at conferences@ieee-itss.org.

Application Form