Bursaries and Awards
IMC Bursary Fund
The deadline for bursaries for IMC 2025 was 23:59 (BST) 13 October 2024.
Each year, the IMC receives many applications for financial support. As part of our commitment to widening participation at the IMC, the IMC Bursary Fund is available to students, independent scholars, pensioners, unwaged scholars, and delegates from outside Western Europe. The bursaries awarded range in value and may cover all or part of the Registration and Programming Fee, accommodation, and meals.
For IMC 2025 a total amount of £16,825 was awarded. 289 applications were received and 100 applicants were awarded bursaries. Bursaries were awarded to participants from Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, the UK, Ukraine, and the USA.
Page Contents:
Application Criteria
How to Apply
Donate to the IMC Bursary Fund
Become a Bursary Patron
The Institute for Medieval Studies Endowment Fund
Templar Heritage Trust Bursaries
Application Criteria
Applicants are asked to provide contact information such as name, email, country, and affiliation, as well as a supporting statement of at least 100 words.
Bursary applications will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Generally, supporting statements outline how the applicant fits into the criteria to which the bursary fund is available. The bursary fund is available to students, independent scholars, pensioners, unwaged scholars, and delegates from outside Western Europe.
It may also outline details of personal circumstances which may include, but are not limited to:
- why the applicant feels they are eligible for an IMC Bursary
- reasons for attending the IMC
- any benefits that may arise as a result of attending the IMC
- any other circumstances that may affect the individual’s attendance at the IMC
You may also optionally provide up to four other files of evidence to support your application. All additional documents must be uploaded separately. Please name each file to indicate what type of document it is (e.g. financial information).
Click here to download the Supporting Statement template [Word Document]. Then upload the edited template when making your application.
If you do not have access to a word processor or need to upload your statement in an alternative format, please email imc@leeds.ac.uk as soon as possible.
How to Apply
Applications for Bursary fund support open at the same time as proposals for papers and session each year.
The deadline for IMC 2025 was 23:59 (BST) 13 October 2024.
Applications for IMC 2026 Bursaries will open in June 2025
Applications should be made via our new online submission tool, Confex.
To do so, you will need to create an account or, if you attended a previous IMC or have already submitted a paper/session proposal, log in to your existing one. We recommend creating only one account and using a university/professional email address where possible.
Do not create multiple accounts using different email addresses, as this may mean we are unable to contact you about your various submissions and/or you are unable to access information relating to your present or past involvement(s) in the IMC.
The email address with which you set up your account will be used for all correspondence.
To update your email address, contact imc@leeds.ac.uk to ensure you continue to receive important information about your participation in the IMC.
Once you have logged in/set up your account, you can start your bursary application.
Donate to the IMC Bursary Fund
We are aware that many in our community are facing increased financial pressures, often impacting the most marginal in our communities the hardest. The IMC is run on a not for profit basis, with any surplus from each Congress being reinvested in the Bursary Fund. However, if you feel able to, you can make a donation to the IMC Bursary Fund here. Even small contributions make a great impact.
Donate to the IMC Bursary FundYou can also make a donation to the IMC Bursary Fund when registering to attend the IMC.
Become a Bursary Patron
We are also keen to hear from individuals and organisations who would like to support scholars. Bursary Patrons covering the full cost of at least one bursary for one year or more have the option to be recognised and thanked in the IMC Programme. Bursaries can cover registration fees only or include a contribution towards accommodation and meals. Previous Patrons have included individuals from the medieval studies community, publishers and organisations.
If you are interested in contributing in this way, please get in touch by emailing imc@leeds.ac.uk.
The Institute for Medieval Studies Endowment Fund
The Institute for Medieval Studies received a substantial bequest from a fellow medievalist which enabled us to establish the Leeds Medieval Studies Endowment Fund. This fund directly contributes to the IMC Bursary Fund, in addition, it provides scholarships for MA and PhD students in the Institute for Medieval Studies, internship opportunities, and support for other activities in the medieval studies community.
For further information about leaving a legacy, or other ways of supporting the Endowment Fund, please email legacies@leeds.ac.uk.
Templar Heritage Trust Bursaries
We would like to thank the Templar Heritage Trust (THT) for offering three bursaries to IMC delegates. The THT is a foundation charity incorporated organisation (registered charity number: 1202183) and makes a number of grants each year in support of academic historical research and skills training for the conservation of historic buildings. The THT takes a particular interest in the literary, architectural, archaeological, and cultural legacy of the medieval Knights Templar and their period in history.
All eligible proposals will be considered for this bursary automatically.