To mark the 50th anniversary of the ASAA, the Council is pleased to introduce a special ECR Support Award to assist Early Career Researchers in attending and participating in the 2026 ASAA Conference. This initiative is particularly intended to support ECRs who may be experiencing financial or professional precarity, and for whom conference participation would otherwise be difficult. Successful applicants may receive up to $1,000 to help defray the costs associated with conference attendance.

Eligibility

Applicants must:

• Be at the Early Career Researcher (ECR) stage (typically within five years of PhD completion);
• Have registered for the 2026 ASAA Conference; AND
• Be presenting a paper at the conference

In particular, we encourage applications from those who:

• May not have access to institutional funding or formal affiliation support; OR
• Are in casual, short-term, or non-academic positions, or otherwise have limited access to funding for conference travel and other research activities

Scope of Support

The award is intended to support costs related to conference participation, namely:

• Travel;
• Accommodation; and / or 
• Registration

Recognition of Contribution to ASAA

In keeping with the spirit of reciprocity within the Association, priority consideration may be given to applicants who can demonstrate sustained engagement with ASAA activities. Applicants are invited (though not required) to briefly outline any relevant contributions, such as:

• Participation in previous ASAA-organised or funded events;
• Contributions to Asian Currents; and / or
• Service as a peer reviewer for ASAA

Important Note

Due to time and logistical constraints, this initiative is currently limited to ECRs who have already submitted an abstract and are presenting at the conference.

We warmly encourage eligible ECRs — particularly those who may face financial or institutional barriers — to apply, and we look forward to supporting your participation at the ASAA 2026 Conference.