The International EcoHealth Forum 2008 will be providing travel assistance to a limited number of Forum participants who require financial assistance to attend the Forum. These partial awards may cover any (but not all) of the following: registration fee, travel to Merida, Mexico, hotel or per diem. The applicant is expected to be able to finance themselves or receive support from another organization to cover at least one of the before mentioned expenses. The travel assistance selection process will be managed by the INSP, the Forum host institution. Funding available for travel assistance is limited and will be given based on need and will require the acceptance of an abstract and active involvement during the Forum.

Priority will be given to:

• researchers, students, advocates, educators, regulators, practitioners, community representatives;
• those who work or live in a low- or middle-income country, according to the World Bank criteria;
• those involved in EcoHealth related activities;
• those whose abstract has been accepted for presentation at the Forum. (E-mail Notifications of selected abstracts are to be sent out during the week of August 18th, 2008).

Requirements:

1. A 2-3 page Application Letter that includes:
   • a clear description of major professional activities;
   • a description of recent involvement in EcoHealth related activities (community activity, research, academic, policy making);
   • title(s) of the abstract(s) submitted;
   • a paragraph clearly expressing need for financial assistance including an estimate of funds requested (i.e., air travel, hotel, meals, etc.), expressing also which cost will be covered by the applicant or sponsoring organization.
     
     
2. Letter of support from applicant’s organization or academic institution (from e.g., program director, supervisor, mentor or adviser) on organization's/university’s letterhead paper.
   
   
3. The participant applying for travel assistance is expected to become more involved in the Forum in some way, i.e. note taking, etc.

To qualify for travel assistance, the applicant must have an abstract accepted for presentation and must be willing to engage in activities during the Forum. However, please note that acceptance of an abstract does not guarantee travel assistance due to the limited funding available.

*Online travel assistance application form must be completed and submitted by July 15, 2008.
The travel assistance application form can be found within the Global Registration and Submission System!

If you are selected to be awarded travel assistance, scholarships@ecohealth2008.org will notify you by August 31, 2008 to enable you to expedite your request for a VISA to Mexico if necessary. Please see the list of countries whose nationals need a Mexican visa and for the location of the nearest Mexican Embassy. If you require a visa, please send a request for a letter of invitation to the Forum to scholarships@ecohealth2008.org.