SPIE Family Care Grants

Family care while attending an SPIE conference

SPIE believes that individuals with significant caregiving responsibilities should have an equal opportunity to share their research and participate in conferences and symposia.

If you are planning to attend a meeting and need dependent care, consider applying for an SPIE Family Care Grant. Refer to the table below for individual event deadlines.

SPIE Family Care Grants are designed to supplement caregiving costs incurred by SPIE Members who are registered to attend an SPIE meeting. The maximum grant amount for in-person meetings is $500, and grants are offered on a first-come, first-served basis on funding availability.

The application system for the 2024 SPIE event cycle is open.

Apply online


 

Application guidelines:

  • The deadline to apply for a grant is three weeks prior to the specific event start date. Refer to the table below for 2023 deadlines.
  • Families are eligible for one grant per Member per year
  • Eligible applications are approved on a first-come, first-served basis based on funding availability. If the number of grant requests exceeds funding availability, preference will be given to applicants in the early stages of their career, or who have not received recent SPIE support.
  • Applicants receive notification of their status no later than one week prior to the event start date

 

Eligibility requirements:

  • Applicant must have a current SPIE Membership through the month of the meeting
  • Applicant must be registered for the conference to be considered (excludes free exhibit-only registrations)
  • Applicant must be a primary caregiver of a dependent who will need care in order for the applicant to attend the meeting

 

Conditions of grant:

  • Funding is to be made via reimbursement after the conference
  • Eligible expenses for reimbursement are limited to airfare of a caregiver to attend the conference, or additional costs for hiring a caregiver at home while the recipient is away at an SPIE conference, or caregiving costs at the conference location for the duration of the event.
  • Abuse of the grant will result in future ineligibility

 

Reimbursement policy:

  • Expenses for reimbursement are to be submitted with receipts within 30 days of the conference
  • Proof of purchase is required for all caregiving expense claims (includes airfare itinerary and caregiving billing)

 

Application deadlines for upcoming events:

Event Application Deadline
SPIE Photonics West
27 January-1 February 2024
29 December 2023
SPIE AR | VR | MR
29-31 January 2024
29 December 2023
SPIE Medical Imaging
17-22 February 2024
26 January 2024
SPIE Advanced Lithography + Patterning
25-29 February 2024
31 January 2024
SPIE Smart Structures + Nondestructive Evaluation
25-28 March 2024
1 March 2024
SPIE Optical Systems Design
7-11 April 2024
15 March 2024
SPIE Photonics Europe
7-11 April 2024
15 March 2024
Defense + Commercial Sensing
21-25 April 2024
29 March 2024
Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation
15-20 June 2024
15 May 2024