The Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies (AABS) has awarded a record number of travel grants to students and early career scholars who are presenting at the AABS 2024 conference.
80 grants were awarded this year, a significant increase from the 47 awarded in 2022. As in 2022, both students and early career scholars were eligible to apply.
“One of our priorities for this year’s conference is to empower the next generation of scholars in Baltic Studies,” said Bradley Woodworth, AABS Vice President for Conferences. “The level of student and early career interest, as expressed in the applications we received and the travel grants, shows how the field is growing.”
Of the 80 awardees, 54 are current students (both undergraduate and graduate) and 26 are early career scholars who earned their doctoral degree in 2019 or later. Recipients come from dozens of institutions and four continents. Applications were evaluated by the AABS Student Travel Grants Committee led by AABS Student Representative Aimee Herring.
“It was important to the committee to support a wide range of scholars coming from different disciplines and parts of the world,” said Herring. “Baltic Studies is expanding, and much of that growth is coming from this younger generation.”
For the over 75% of recipients based in Europe, the AABS travel grant can make a world of difference, especially as the academic world has transitioned almost fully back to in-person conferences.
“My attendance would have been impossible without the travel grant,” said Merily Salura, a 2022 grantee from Estonia. “I received very helpful comments and questions from the audience and made many brilliant new acquaintances.”
The 2024 conference will take place from June 13-16 on the campus of Yale University in Connecticut, USA. The program includes over 100 panels, discussions, and workshops, three plenary events, and several exhibtions. Registration is open until May 13.