Travel Support Program

Start date July 1, 2012; Revised April 21, 2025.

The training of HQP (Highly Qualified Personnel) as users of the CLS as well as the benefits of researchers attending conferences and workshops offered by CLSI is a priority for CLSI. High travel costs create a significant barrier for students and attendees from outside Saskatoon who require to access the CLS or, APS via CLS@APS, for their research or to attend a CLSI conference or workshop. This program provides access to travel support funds to eligible candidates to assist with travel costs.

To be eligible for travel support you must:

1. Be a postdoctoral fellow, graduate student, or undergraduate student enrolled at a Canadian university or college.
2. Satisfy at least one of the following requirements:
   • Be listed as a team member on an active CLSI Project that has been allocated beamtime at the CLS or CLS@APS
   • Be registered as an attendee at a CLSI offered conference or workshop
3. Agree to the Terms of the Travel Reimbursement:
   Reimbursement is based on expenses for travel and room accommodation only, up to the maximum amount based on location. Invoices for travel reimbursement must be submitted to CLSI from applicant's home institution within three (3) months of visiting the CLS associated with this application.

To apply for the Travel Support Program (TSP), submit an application form. Any submission with incorrect or incomplete information may result in disqualification. Please submit no more than one TSP application form per calendar quarter for general user beamtime, and one application form per eligible conference or workshop. Contact travelsupport@lightsource.ca with any questions.

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Submission Deadlines for General User Beamtime

Deadlines for submission for upcoming beamtime are based on the date of your expected beamtime:

Submission Deadlines for Eligible Conferences/Workshops

Eligible conferences or workshops for the TSP are listed here. To inquire about the eligibility of other conferences or workshops, please email travelsupport@lightsource.ca.

Once you are approved, you will be sent a certificate from CLSI indicating the value of the reimbursement. After your travel, submit your expense claim within three months to your institution and attach the certificate. It provides your institution with details of how funds will be transferred from CLSI. 

Recipients must:

• Acknowledge this support in any publications about their work and provide CLSI with a copy of such publications, including theses, in the form: (Student name) acknowledges the receipt of support from the CLSI Travel Support Program.
• Travel within the time period for which the student’s application was approved.
• Submit an expense claim to their academic institution, along with a copy of their Travel Support Program (TSP) award certificate as provided by CLSI.
  • Reimbursement will be directed to the institution listed at the time of application for the award, and is based on expenses for travel and room accommodation only, up to the maximum amount indicated on the award certificate.
  • Invoices must be received by CLSI no later than ninety (90) days after the student's travel.

The maximum support available depends on each applicant's travel requirements, and the funds available for any given calendar quarter or eligible workshop. All amounts are listed in Canadian dollars.

• Travel from within Saskatchewan, outside of Saskatoon, to Saskatoon, SK: only accommodation and ground transportation up to a maximum of $500
• Travel from Manitoba or Alberta to Saskatoon, SK: $750 maximum
• Travel from Quebec, Ontario, or British Columbia to Saskatoon, SK: $1,500 maximum
• Travel from the Northwest Territories, Yukon, or Nunavut to Saskatoon, SK: $1,500 maximum
• Travel from the Atlantic Provinces to Saskatoon, SK: $1,750 maximum
• Travel from Canada to Chicago, Il: $1,000 maximum

Guidelines

• Support is limited to two visits per calendar year and a lifetime limit of four visits (commencing in 2019).
• First time visitors will be given preference when evaluating applications for travel related to general user beamtime.
• No single supervisor shall receive more than 15% of the aggregate amount available in any calendar quarter for general user beamtime, or for any one conference or workshop.
• Graduate students shall have preference when evaluating applications.
• Subsequent to applying the above guidelines, applications will be processed on a first come first serve basis.