Our travel support policy

We are sometimes able to reimburse travel costs for applicants who would otherwise be unable to attend the workshop. If you need travel support to attend a workshop, please check the list below to find which workshop location to apply to. Our workshop locations are Berkeley, Boston, and Oxford.

Which workshop location should I apply to if I need travel support?

Use the list below to find the workshop location(s) for which you are eligible to apply for travel support. You will not be eligible for travel support for a workshop location for which you are out of range.

To see the workshop location(s) for which you are eligible for travel support, find your departure region in the lists above. For example:

• If you’re traveling from Eastern North America and expect to need travel support, you’re eligible to apply for Boston workshops.
• If you’re traveling from Australia and expect to need travel support, you’re eligible to apply for Oxford and Berkeley workshops.
• If you’re traveling from South America and expect to need travel support, you’re eligible to apply for Berkeley workshops.

Once you know which locations to apply for, you can see the upcoming workshop dates and applications here.

How do I request travel support?

You can request travel support within the workshop’s application form. See upcoming workshop applications here.

Requesting travel support in your application does not lower your chance of being accepted to the workshop. However, our travel support funds are limited and we can only accommodate some requests. If you do not end up receiving travel support, this is likely the result of limited funds rather than a judgment of your character or potential. We may offer admission to the workshop but not be able to accept your travel support request.

Due to US restrictions on payments to foreign countries, please note these country-specific restrictions regarding travel funding:

• China: We are unable to provide a stipend in advance of purchase, and can only reimburse expenses for travel after it has been purchased.
• India: We must issue an employment contract in order to send a travel stipend. Due to the additional time of processing an employment contract, payments to people located in India may have a 4 week processing time.
• Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Russia, Venezuela: Due to US restrictions, we cannot issue travel stipends to people in these countries.

What does travel support cover?

Travel support can cover transport costs directly related to the workshop. This includes economy flights, trains, and buses with receipts provided. We rarely reimburse private transport such as Uber or taxis, and expect public transport to be used instead.

Food and accommodation are provided during the workshop for free for all attendees. We do not reimburse food or accommodation outside the workshop dates.

What if I need a visa to attend?

We can cover non-expedited visa fees for almost all participants who need a visa, even if your travel support request is denied. However, we may deny visa reimbursement in cases where the visa is unusually costly. We very rarely reimburse expedited visas, and expect you apply for a non-expedited visa instead.

We are able to provide a visa support letter for your application.

If approved, when will I receive the travel support payment?

Our standard process is to reimburse participants within 4 weeks after the workshop. If waiting for a refund until after the event is likely to cause you significant financial stress, please email us at info@globalchallengesproject.org by the application deadline to request an upfront payment.