The BGS strives to help medics and healthcare professionals with limited study budgets to access our educational opportunities on a fully funded basis.
You can find out more about applying for a BGS fully funded place (FFP) on this page.
Members in Category B, C and D are now eligible to apply for a fully funded place. This will cover the registration cost for a BGS conference, either virtually or in person. Applications can be submitted from the event registration page, and should be requested and approved before completing registration. Places are limited for each BGS event and early application is recommended.
Who is eligible to apply for a fully funded place (FFP) at a BGS conference?
FFPs for BGS educational events are available to members of the BGS who have been a member for one year or more at the time of application. Places are limited for each event. They are restricted to those in the following categories of membership:
- Category B – Medics in training roles (Foundation year, IMT, registrars, clinical fellows) and SAS grade doctors without study budget
- Category C – Nurses and AHPs, as well as professions such as Researchers, Pharmacists and Physician Associates
- Category D – Undergraduate students – medics, nurse and AHPS
You can find out more about membership categories here. Further information about applications and eligibility can be found below.
Group members of the BGS do not have access to this grant.
Eligibility criteria
In order to apply for a FFP, you must:
- Have been a continuous member for at least a year.
- Be in the appropriate membership category (B, C or D).
- Have approval from your educational or clinical supervisor and declare that there are no sources of funding available from your employer.
- Apply as early as possible ahead of the conference to ensure sufficient time for your application to be considered and (if successful) for your registration to be confirmed. There is a cut-off date of 7 days before a meeting for FFP applications, if there are places remaining.
- Apply when there are available FFPs. The number of spaces left will be shown during the application process.
You will be ineligible to apply for a FFP if you:
- Are a group member of the BGS
- Have received a BGS FFP in the past two years (even if you did not attend the event).
- Register (and pay) in advance of the FFP application being approved by BGS. This can take up to 5 days.
- Provide inaccurate information in your application. FFPs can be rejected or rescinded if any of the information supplied is found to be erroneous.
All BGS conferences are open for FFP applications.
How do I apply for a FFP?
We have streamlined the application process to ensure the maximum number of members can benefit.
To apply for a FFP, follow the steps below:
- Log into the BGS website.
- Select the BGS event you are interested in attending from our main events page.
- Click the pink 'Register online' button on the right hand side of the screen (or near to the bottom of the screen on a mobile device). If this button is not visible, the event is not yet open for registration, so please try again later.
- If you meet the eligibility criteria above, you will have the option to register for a FFP for the event at the top of the registration form. If you believe you are eligible but this option is not displayed, please email membership@bgs.org.uk and we will check your membership status and eligibility.
- Choose how you would like to attend the event (online or in person) and complete and submit the FFp application form. Do not register for the meeting at this stage.
- Our team will review your application and communicate the outcome via email, usually within 5 days.
- If you are successful, register for the event as instructed in the outcome email. If you are unsuccessful, you can submit a new application for a FFP for an alternative BGS meeting, provided you meet the eligibility criteria.
How often can I receive a FFP?
FFP applications are restricted to one award per member every two years. You may only apply for a grant after being a member of the BGS for a minimum of 12 months.
When can I apply for a FFP?
We recommend that you apply as early as possible to secure your preferred event and registration type (virtual or in-person) as there are limits to the number of spaces available. Places are issued on a first come, first served basis. We cannot accept new grant applications less than 8 weeks before the event is due to occur.
What can I use the FFP for?
FFPs are valid for a specific member to attend a specific event and are not transferrable between members or events.
These places are exclusively for attendance at our own BGS events, which includes our large annual meetings (such as our Spring and Autumn meetings) and smaller national, regional and SIG meetings.
There will be a cap on the number of places available per event via this scheme.
If you apply for a FFP to attend in person and subsequently cannot attend the physical event, or if there are no remaining spaces for in-person attendance, we can transfer your registration to a virtual place. This will still allow you to catch up on all the content online for 12 months following the event.
If you are allocated an in-person FFP and can no longer attend in person you must contact us to swap your registration type or cancel your registration. Failure to do so will result in you being recorded as having received a funded place, meaning you will be unable to reapply within the time periods specified above. If the event itself is cancelled by BGS your FFP will be voided and you may reapply for another event.
