International Master‵s Program in Asia-Pacific Studies

Attending an international conference is a requirement for PhD students. In order to obtain funding for attending the conference, students are encouraged to apply for the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) international conference grant.

The MOST grant covers round-trip flight tickets in economy class and the conference registration fees. Caregivers of students with severe disabilities that require round-trip flight tickets will also be provided with one  upon approval by the Ministry.

How to Apply

1. Prepare the following documents
   1. The abstract of the paper
   2. The acceptance letter from the conference
   3. The recommendation letter from the supervising professor (indicating the foreign language ability)
   4. Other useful documents (such as the full paper)
2. Create an account at the “Academic Research Service Portal” on the MOST website.
3. Fill all the information and upload the required documents.
4. Send the application and await review. The initial review is done by NCCU and they submit the actual application to MOST.

For changes to the application after submission, go to the “Academic Research Service Portal” and submit them. Except for the cancellation application, all changes shall be applied before the conference.

When to Apply

Students send their application (through the MOST portal) to NCCU and NCCU then applies to MOST.

The last submission date of the application institution (NCCU in this case) is the first day of the month before the first day of conference. Whenever the deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday, national holiday or any other statutory holiday, the deadline will become the next working day. 

Criteria

Each graduate student can only be granted funding once per year. For co-authored papers, the grant shall also be limited to one graduate student per paper.

After the application is received, the relevant academic departments of MOST will conduct a review. The review will be completed within one month from the day after the receipt of the application. The results will be delivered to the applicant institution. The review period may be extended when needed.

How to Receive the Grant

Students will receive a letter with the amount granted by the MOST.

The MOST grant is not given before the conference but reimbursed afterwards. This means that students need to cover the cost first, and the MOST will reimburse it after the conference is completed.

The reimbursement needs to be completed 15 days after returning to Taiwan. Students must keep all the receipts (airline ticket receipt, boarding pass, etc.) and relevant documents to apply for reimbursement. The application is through the “Academic Research Service Portal”.

The applicant institution (NCCU) shall submit the completed statement of income and expenditure of the previous month to MOST before the 10th of each month. Each case needs to be signed by the head of the institution and relevant personnel and filed to MOST together with a copy of the approval letter from MOST and the receipt from the applicant institution. If the reimbursement is made after the due date, the applicant institution shall bear the cost alone.

Additional Regulations

1. MOST does not subsidize conferences held by China. International conferences in China must be hosted by an international academic organization, or hosted by an international academic organization and co-hosted by a relevant organization in China. 
2. The airfare is limited to flights from a Taiwanese airline. If that is not possible, applicants must fill out an application form to take a flight from a foreign airline for an official trip abroad. The application shall be approved by the head of the applicant’s institution or an authorized representative before taking the flight from a foreign airline.
3. Even if the applicant has already graduated at the time of the conference, the reimbursement still needs to be submitted through the applicant’s institution. After this, applications for another grant to attend an international conference in the current year are not allowed.
4. If the international academic conference to which the graduate student applies for participation adopts video conferencing, and the student participates in the conference by video, it will be considered as attended in person.
5. Applicants who have received a grant from another government agency to attend the conference cannot apply for the MOST grant. Those who falsify their application will have their eligibility revoked. 

More information about MOST grant.