ANNOUNCEMENT about MARCH/APRIL FUNDING ROUND 2021. The Trustees of the MPPT have decided to accept travel applications to the March/April funding round, recognising that while international travel to conferences remains unlikely, both national and local conferences may offer opportunities for presentation of research and an opportunity to listen to international plenary speakers via electronic media. Your application should include, in addition to information about your proposed presentation, details of the conference programme.

As usual, the March/April funding round will be open for Project and Equipment and Conference Support applications. The upper limit of $20,000 for a Project or Equipment grant will remain unless there is well argued proposal to warrant a larger grant.

The MPPT Trust Board met on the 19th November to consider and approve applications for projects, equipment, and conference support. Forty nine Project and Equipment applications were received for the round, and 30 applications received grants-in-aid. The Trustees noted that the round was particularly competitive and the cut-off score for funding was higher than granting rounds over the past few years. As indicated earlier this year, funds that would have been applied to Travel grants were diverted to the Projects and Equipment category, and the trustees approved total funding of $329,950.

Applicants are reminded that there is a one year stand-down period for projects and travel. Further, applications for travel to conferences will only be considered for approval if the date of travel occurs after the relevant Board meeting. This means that there is no retrospective funding for travel. In practice this will not affect the majority of applicants as, notwithstanding that the Trustees may review the situation after April 2021, there are three travel rounds each year (with closing dates of 1st March, 1st June and 1st October and with respective Board meetings and final decisions in mid to late April, July and November). In some instances applicants may need to apply slightly earlier than previously. These changes, and other changes on eligibility, are covered under the grant categories.

Scholarships and Fellowships funded by the Trust can be found under the Scholarships and Fellowships page. Further information, including stipends payable, is available from institutional graduate student offices that administer the Trust’s programmes.

The office of the Trust is at 89 Grafton Rd, the phone number is 09 379 5316, the postal address is PO Box 110008 Auckland Hospital 1148, and the email address for all Trust correspondence is zn.tppm@tppm.