Bursary Guidelines for Conferences Conference bursaries are designed to encourage Halton Down Syndrome Association (HDSA) members to attend Down syndrome related conferences with the goal of developing relationships, learning and sharing, and celebrating accomplishments. Eligible Conferences Any reputable local, provincial, national, or international Down syndrome related agency or organization conference will be considered eligible. This includes, but is not limited to: local Down syndrome organizations, Down Syndrome Association of Ontario (DSAO), Canadian Down Syndrome Society (CDSS), National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS), Down Syndrome Research Foundation (DSRF), and World Down Syndrome Congress (WDSC). Member Qualification To qualify for the Conference Bursary, a member must: I. Have a current HDSA membership. II. III. Be an active member (defined as having attended at least one HDSA function within the previous 12 months). For national (excluding CDSS) and international conferences, submit a written application to the Conference Bursary Coordinator, answering the three following questions: a. Why do you want to attend the conference? b. What do you intend to get out of the conference? c. Why should you be chosen to attend the conference? The Conference Bursary Coordinator will bring the written application to the Board for review and a vote. * Board Chair is required to attend the DSAO and CDSS conferences. If Chair is unable to attend, the Vice Chair or designate will attend. 1
Conference Costs Member Expenses A number of expenses must be expected with any conference. Member is required to pay for all expenses incurred as a result of attending the conference. Trip cancellation travel insurance is strongly recommended for those paying upfront costs. o If upfront costs are a concern, the Board is willing to work with the chosen party to support their financial needs. If upfront costs are paid by HDSA, the member must purchase trip cancellation travel insurance. Note: the conference bursary funds will be issued once the member has attended the conference and submitted qualifying receipts to HDSA s Administrative Assistant. Chair s (or designate) Expenses Chair s (or designate) expenses will be fully paid. This includes: Conference fee Transportation o Flights to and from conference destination. Important: trip cancellation travel insurance is required. o Taxi cab / train / subway fare to and from airport for both home and destination Train fare (if chosen over a flight or driving) o Hotel Mileage (if flight is not required) at 55 per kilometre (to a maximum of 500 km one-way) evening before the conference all days of the conference evening following the conference if the conference ends later than 5pm local time o Food allowance of $75/day (alcohol excluded). 2
Bursary Amount The following bursaries will be available (per conference): Local DS Organizations DSAT, WRDSS, etc. Provincial DSAO National CDSS International WDSC Open number of conference fee bursaries (for individual & spouse) 10 bursaries up to $500/each 5 bursaries up to $1000/each 2 bursaries up to $2,000/each * If a national conference is held within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), the number of bursaries available will increase to 10 and the amount refunded will be reduced up to $500 each. ** If an international conference is held within the GTA, the number of bursaries available will increase to 8 and the amount refunded will be reduced up to $500 each. Other National & International Conferences DSRF, NDSS, etc. Bursaries of up to $6,000 total (shared among Other conferences) For all Other National & International conferences, the interested member must submit a written application as outlined on page 1 bullet iii. Important: Chair s (or designate) fees are not included in the bursaries outlined under Bursary Amount. Please see Chair s (or designate) Expenses above. 3
Bursary Consideration Board will notify members of all provincial or national bursaries being allotted, at least 4 weeks prior to the early bird deadlines of each conference, via the monthly newsletter or e-mail blast. I. Members must submit their name for bursary consideration and approval. Members will have 2 weeks from the newsletter or e-mail blast notification to apply. II. III. IV. Priority will be given to those who have not received a conference bursary within the previous 12 months. VIP members (High School Age & Graduate) will automatically be approved to a maximum of 50% of the total bursaries available for each of the Provincial, National, and International conferences. If there are more VIP member applicants than available bursaries, priority will be given to those who have not received a conference bursary within the previous 12 months. o If there are still more applicants than bursaries, available bursaries shall be awarded by drawing from the eligible VIP member applicants. If the number of member applicants is greater than the number of available bursaries: Those who have already attended a conference in the previous 12 months will be removed from the list of eligibility Available bursaries will be awarded by drawing from the names of the remaining eligible member applicants. If all member applicants have attended a conference in the previous 12 months, all will be eligible for the draw. V. If the number of available bursaries is greater than the number of applicants, the partner of a current applicant may also apply. An email notification will be issued once the deadline for applications has passed. o If both partners attend a provincial conference, the additional partner s conference fee will be covered by HDSA. o If both partners attend a national or international conference, the applicant will receive 100% of the amount allotted for the designated bursary and the partner will receive 50% of the amount allotted for the designated bursary. 4
VI. VII. All approved members will be notified via email within 24 hours (or earlier) of the deadline for applying for the bursary. All bursary awards and related decisions by the Board, or the Board designate(s), shall be final. Conference Attendance For the DSAO and CDSS conferences, all member attendees must check in with HDSA Chair (or designate) prior to the start of each conference day. The time and location of the meeting point will be determined and communicated by the Chair (or designate). For all other conferences, members must forward a certificate of attendance (if available) to the Conference Bursary Coordinator upon the completion of the conference. Bursary Issuance After attending the conference, members must forward the following receipts, via email, mail, or in-person at the HDSA Office to HDSA s Administrative Assistant: Conference registration fee Meals Workshops (if applicable) Hotel (if applicable) Flight (if applicable) Any additional costs if approved by the Confrence Bursary Co-ordinator Members can be refused reimbursement if appropriate receipts are not provided for the receipts in which they wish to be reimbursed for. A cheque for the approved expenses will be mailed/delivered to qualifying members within one month of receiving the receipts. 5