HWCC Conference Travel Grants 2027: Apply for Free Registration or Up to US$1,000 to Attend the Bangkok Conference

Applications are open for a limited number of travel grants supporting participation in the 2nd International Conference on Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence, which will take place from March 2–4, 2027, in Bangkok, Thailand.

Successful applicants may receive either a conference registration fee waiver or financial assistance of US$500 or US$1,000 toward travel costs. Applicants can request only one of these three support options.

The application window runs from September 1 to October 31, 2026. All applications must be submitted in English through the official online form by 23:59 GMT on October 31, 2026. Applicants are expected to receive the outcome of their applications by November 15, 2026. The official travel-grant page confirms the deadline, support options and priority criteria.

Travel Grant Opportunity at a Glance

Detail Information
Opportunity name	Travel Support for the 2nd International Conference on Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence
Conference dates	March 2–4, 2027
Location	Bangkok, Thailand
Venue	Avani+ Riverside Bangkok Hotel
Application opening date	September 1, 2026
Application deadline	October 31, 2026, at 23:59 GMT
Notification date	By November 15, 2026
Application language	English
Available support	Registration waiver or reimbursement, US$500 toward travel, or US$1,000 toward travel
Number of options allowed	Applicants may request only one support option
Conference registration required before applying	No
Application method	Online Google application form
Host	IUCN SSC Human-Wildlife Conflict & Coexistence Specialist Group

About the 2nd International Conference on Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence

The 2nd International Conference on Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence will bring together people working across conservation, research, policy, development, agriculture, technology and community-based practice.

Human-wildlife conflict can occur when interactions between people and wildlife create actual or perceived negative consequences for human livelihoods, safety, well-being, conservation objectives or animal welfare. Addressing these challenges requires more than biological research. It frequently involves community participation, governance, economic incentives, land-use planning, communication, behavioral science, conflict resolution and public policy.

The conference is being organized by the IUCN Species Survival Commission’s Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence Specialist Group. It will build on the first international conference, held in Oxford in 2023, which brought together nearly 600 participants from 70 countries and all continents.

The second conference will be held over three days in Bangkok from March 2–4, 2027. It is expected to convene Indigenous and local community leaders, conservation practitioners, researchers, government representatives, grant-makers, policymakers and professionals from other relevant sectors. The official conference overview explains its international, cross-sectoral focus.

Main Objectives of the Conference

The conference aims to improve international cooperation and learning on human-wildlife conflict and coexistence.

Its stated objectives include:

1. Promoting a shared understanding of human-wildlife conflict and coexistence through new perspectives, scientific knowledge, practical insights and technological advances.
2. Supporting the development of frameworks and approaches that improve research, management and mitigation.
3. Encouraging approaches that can influence national and international policies concerning human-wildlife conflict.
4. Facilitating dialogue and learning between different professional sectors and academic disciplines.
5. Examining emerging dimensions of human-wildlife conflict and coexistence.
6. Supporting local, national and international collaboration between practitioners, policymakers, researchers, communities and other stakeholders.
7. Advancing interdisciplinary approaches that consider the ecological, social, economic, cultural, political and behavioral dimensions of human-wildlife interactions.

The event is intended to provide a platform for practical discussion, knowledge exchange, professional networking and the development of new collaborations.

What Support Is Available?

Applicants must select only one of the following three options in the application form.

Option 1: Free Conference Registration

Successful applicants under this option will have their conference registration fee waived.

The organizers will send successful recipients a registration form so that they can register and confirm their place at the conference.

If a successful applicant has already registered and paid for a conference ticket, the organizers state that the ticket cost will be reimbursed.

This option may be useful for applicants who can arrange their own transportation and accommodation but cannot afford the conference registration fee.

Option 2: US$500 Toward Travel Costs

Applicants may request US$500 toward the costs of travelling to Bangkok.

The official page states that successful recipients will receive the amount in cash and in person at the conference on March 3, 2027.

The webpage does not state that the organizers will purchase airline tickets, reserve accommodation or provide the US$500 before the conference. Applicants should therefore plan on arranging and initially financing their travel unless their award letter expressly states otherwise.

Option 3: US$1,000 Toward Travel Costs

Applicants from eligible locations may request US$1,000 toward travel expenses.

As with the US$500 option, the amount will be provided in cash and in person at the conference in Bangkok on March 3, 2027. The award letter issued to each successful applicant will confirm the payment arrangement.

The US$1,000 option is not available to applicants based in:

• Bangladesh
• Bhutan
• Brunei
• Cambodia
• China
• India
• Indonesia
• Laos
• Malaysia
• Maldives
• Myanmar
• Nepal
• Philippines
• Singapore
• Sri Lanka
• Taiwan
• Thailand
• Vietnam

Applicants from these locations may still select the free conference registration option or the US$500 travel-support option, provided they otherwise satisfy the requirements.

Important Funding Limitation

The travel-grant programme is not described as full sponsorship.

Applicants should understand the following points:

• Only a limited number of awards are available.
• Submitting an application does not guarantee funding.
• Applicants may request only one support option.
• A US$500 or US$1,000 travel award is not described as including free conference registration.
• A registration waiver is not described as including airfare, accommodation or other travel expenses.
• The travel money is scheduled to be distributed in person on March 3, 2027.
• The webpage does not promise advance payment or direct flight booking.
• The webpage does not specify whether visa costs, accommodation, insurance or local transportation qualify as travel expenses.
• The final award letter will confirm the arrangement offered to each recipient.

Applicants should prepare a realistic financial plan covering any costs not included in their selected support option.

A Critical Cash-Flow Consideration

The timing of the travel-grant payment is particularly important.

The main conference starts on March 2, 2027, while the US$500 or US$1,000 award is scheduled to be paid in person on March 3, 2027. This means recipients may need to purchase their tickets, obtain a visa, arrange insurance, book accommodation and reach Bangkok before receiving the money.

Applicants should not assume that selection will remove the need for advance funds. Before accepting an award, recipients should confirm:

• Whether they must purchase their own airline ticket.
• Whether any payment can be made before departure.
• Whether the award may be used for accommodation.
• Whether proof of expenditure will be required.
• Whether conference registration must be purchased separately.
• Whether payment will be made in U.S. dollars or an equivalent local currency.
• Whether identification or a signed receipt will be required to collect the cash.
• What happens if the recipient experiences a visa refusal or travel disruption.

Unless the award letter states otherwise, applicants should treat the funding as a contribution toward attendance rather than complete coverage of every cost.

Who Receives Priority?

The official page does not state that applicants must meet every priority criterion. It says priority will be given to applicants who meet any of the following:

• Residents of countries not classified as high-income under the World Bank country classification.
• Students from any country.
• Applicants who submitted an abstract for a talk, poster or session.
• Individuals included in a conference session submitted by another person.

These are priority factors rather than clearly stated absolute eligibility restrictions.

Therefore, the published information does not explicitly exclude:

• Non-students.
• Applicants from high-income countries.
• Applicants who did not submit an abstract.
• Applicants who are not presenting at the conference.
• People working outside universities.
• Independent practitioners and consultants.
• Private-sector professionals.
• Government employees.
• Members of nonprofit or intergovernmental organizations.

However, applicants who do not meet any priority criterion may face stronger competition because the available funding is limited.

Do Applicants Need to Register for the Conference First?

No. Applicants do not need to register for the conference before submitting a travel-support application.

This is important because one of the available options is a registration fee waiver. Applicants seeking this option do not need to pay the registration fee merely to qualify for consideration.

Those who have already purchased a ticket may still apply. If they are selected for the registration-support option, the organizers state that the ticket will be reimbursed.

Applicants should keep their:

• Registration confirmation.
• Payment receipt.
• Invoice.
• Card or bank transaction record.
• Any correspondence with the conference organizer.

These records may be needed to arrange reimbursement.

Status of the Call for Contributions

The conference’s separate call for abstracts and session contributions closed on August 31, 2026.

The travel-grant application opened on September 1, 2026. Consequently, applicants who submitted an abstract, poster, talk or session proposal before the contributions deadline may receive priority during travel-grant consideration.

Someone who did not submit a contribution may still apply for travel assistance because submitting an abstract is not stated as a mandatory requirement. However, the person cannot now rely on that particular priority factor unless the organizers reopen the contributions process.

The conference accepted proposals across a broad range of subjects, including:

• Human, cultural and behavioral dimensions of coexistence.
• Landscape-scale, climate and ecological issues.
• Development, livelihoods, food security, poverty and well-being.
• Communications and media.
• Technology, artificial intelligence and scientific innovation.
• Compensation, insurance, incentives and other financial instruments.
• Practical conflict resolution and peacebuilding.
• Policy and governance.
• Connections between science and policy.
• Lived experience and traditional knowledge.
• One Health approaches.
• Animal behavior, ethics and animal welfare.

The contribution formats included symposia, panels, reverse panels, interactive sessions, workshops, film screenings, individual presentations, speed talks and posters. The official contribution page confirms that submissions are now closed.

Application Form Requirements

The official application form is relatively short. It currently requests the following information:

Personal and contact information

Applicants must provide:

• First and last name.
• Email address.
• Main country of residence.

Employment and affiliation

Applicants must identify the type of organization with which they work. The form provides the following options:

• Government.
• Private sector.
• NGO or nonprofit organization.
• Intergovernmental organization.
• Academia or research institution.
• Independent or consultancy.
• Other.

Applicants must also state their organization or professional affiliation.

Student status

The application asks whether the applicant is currently a student.

Students from any country are one of the groups given priority, but the form also allows non-students to apply.

Conference contribution status

Applicants must state whether they submitted an abstract to the conference.

The form also asks whether they have been included as a panelist or speaker in a proposal submitted by another person. Available responses are:

• Yes.
• No.
• I do not know.

Funding justification statement

Applicants must respond to the following substantive question in no more than 150 words:

Explain how attending the conference will further your work in human-wildlife conflict and coexistence and why you need financial support to attend.

This is the main written justification on the current form. Applicants should use the limited word count carefully.

Requested grant option

Applicants must choose one of the following:

• Free conference registration.
• US$500 toward travel costs.
• US$1,000 toward travel costs, where geographically available.

The current form does not display a requirement to upload a curriculum vitae, passport, recommendation letter, academic transcript, detailed budget or copy of an abstract. Applicants should nevertheless recheck the live form before submission in case the organizers make changes.

How to Write a Strong 150-Word Funding Statement

The 150-word response should address both parts of the question:

1. How attending will advance the applicant’s work.
2. Why the applicant cannot attend without financial assistance.

A practical structure could be:

Opening: Professional or community context

Briefly introduce your work and the human-wildlife conflict issue you address.

For example, explain whether you work in conservation, research, agriculture, public policy, local government, community development, animal welfare, livelihoods or another related area.

Current challenge

Identify the specific problem, knowledge gap or implementation challenge affecting your work.

Avoid relying only on broad statements such as “human-wildlife conflict is important.” Describe the particular problem your community, institution or project is facing.

Value of conference participation

Explain how the conference will help you:

• Learn a specific approach.
• Connect with relevant specialists.
• improve an existing intervention.
• Strengthen policy development.
• Develop a collaboration.
• Share community knowledge.
• Apply research findings.
• Bring practical lessons back to your institution or community.

Financial need

State clearly why assistance is necessary. Where relevant, mention limited institutional funding, student status, unfavorable exchange rates, long-distance travel costs or lack of access to professional-development funding.

Applicants should remain factual and avoid making unsupported claims.

Suggested 150-Word Allocation

Applicants may use the following approximate structure:

• 30–40 words: Your role and the human-wildlife issue you address.
• 35–45 words: The practical problem or knowledge gap affecting your work.
• 40–50 words: How conference learning and connections will improve your work.
• 20–30 words: Why financial support is necessary.
• 10–20 words: The outcome you intend to deliver after returning.

This is application guidance rather than an official scoring formula.

How Applications Are Expected to Be Reviewed

The organizers have not published a numerical scoring system, detailed assessment rubric or weighting for each criterion.

The official information only confirms that:

• Funding is limited.
• Applications will be assessed against available resources.
• Priority will be given to the specified applicant groups.
• Selection is not guaranteed.

Applicants should therefore avoid claims that meeting one priority criterion guarantees an award.

A strong application should demonstrate:

• A clear connection to human-wildlife conflict and coexistence.
• A practical reason for attending the conference.
• A realistic benefit to the applicant’s work, organization or community.
• Genuine financial need.
• A credible plan to apply or share knowledge gained from the conference.
• Accurate information about student, residence and contribution status.

Travel-Grant Application Timeline

August 31, 2026

The separate call for abstracts and session contributions closed.

September 1, 2026

Travel-grant applications opened.

September 15, 2026

The conference’s early-bird registration deadline was extended to this date. Applicants do not need to register before applying for travel support.

October 31, 2026

Travel-grant applications close at 23:59 GMT.

November 15, 2026

All applicants are expected to be notified of the result by this date.

March 1, 2027

Optional pre-conference short courses are scheduled. These courses are separately ticketed and are not automatically included in the main registration fee.

March 2–4, 2027

The main conference takes place in Bangkok.

March 3, 2027

Successful US$500 and US$1,000 recipients are scheduled to receive their awards in cash and in person. The separately ticketed conference dinner is also scheduled for this date.

Conference Venue

The conference will be held at:

Avani+ Riverside Bangkok Hotel
257 Charoen Nakhon Road
Samre, Thon Buri
Bangkok 10600
Thailand

The hotel is a riverside venue overlooking the Chao Phraya River. It can be reached from both Suvarnabhumi Airport and Don Mueang Airport using taxis or ride-hailing services.

Delegates arriving at Suvarnabhumi Airport may also use the Airport Rail Link, connect to the BTS Skytrain and travel to Saphan Taksin Station before using the hotel’s shuttle boat. Complete venue and transportation information is available on the official conference website.

What Conference Registration Includes

According to the registration page, the main conference registration fee includes:

• Access to sessions in the main conference programme.
• Tea, coffee and snacks twice each day.
• Lunch on all three conference days.
• Admission to the conference reception.

The following are optional or separately ticketed:

• Conference dinner.
• Pre-conference short courses.
• Other separately advertised activities.

Registration does not automatically cover international travel, accommodation, visas, insurance or other personal expenses. The official registration page explains what the ticket includes.

Visa, Passport and Insurance Responsibilities

International participants are responsible for checking the entry requirements that apply to their nationality and travel documents.

Delegates should plan for:

• A passport valid for the required period.
• A Thai visa or electronic visa where applicable.
• Thailand’s entry and arrival requirements.
• Travel and health insurance.
• Cancellation insurance where appropriate.
• Vaccination or health documentation if required.
• Sufficient funds for accommodation and daily expenses.
• Contingency costs caused by delays or cancellations.

Thailand requires international visitors to complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card before arrival. Entry rules can change, so selected applicants should verify requirements through official Thai government sources before booking travel.

The conference terms state that the organizer may issue visa-support letters only after registration and payment have been completed. A support letter does not guarantee visa approval. Applicants should review the conference’s current visa guidance.

How to Apply

Follow these steps:

1. Read the official travel-grant information.
2. Decide which single support option best matches your financial situation.
3. Open the official travel-grant application form.
4. Enter your name, email address and main country of residence.
5. Select your organization type.
6. Provide your institutional or professional affiliation.
7. Confirm whether you are a student.
8. State whether you submitted a conference abstract.
9. State whether you are included as a speaker or panelist in someone else’s proposal.
10. Prepare a focused statement of no more than 150 words.
11. Select only one grant option.
12. Review every response carefully.
13. Submit the form before 23:59 GMT on October 31, 2026.
14. Save evidence that the form was submitted.
15. Monitor your email, including spam and junk folders, for the outcome.

Google sign-in is offered as a way to save application progress. Applicants should still prepare the 150-word response in a separate document before entering it into the form.

Application Preparation Checklist

Before starting the online application, prepare:

• Your name exactly as used in professional correspondence.
• A reliable email address.
• Your country of residence.
• The name of your employer, university, organization or professional affiliation.
• Your organization type.
• Confirmation of your current student status.
• Details of any conference abstract or session proposal.
• Confirmation from a session organizer if you may have been included as a speaker.
• A 150-word funding justification.
• A realistic estimate of your overall attendance costs.
• A decision on which one of the three support options to request.
• A plan for financing travel before the in-person payment date, if requesting travel funding.

Practical Tips for Applicants

Choose the appropriate grant option

Do not automatically select the highest amount.

If you can fund your travel but cannot afford conference registration, the registration waiver may be the most suitable request.

If you need help with airfare or another travel cost, select either US$500 or US$1,000, subject to the geographical restriction on the US$1,000 option.

Address both elements of the main question

A response that only explains your professional work is incomplete. You must also explain why you need funding.

Similarly, a response that discusses only financial hardship without demonstrating a meaningful connection to the conference may be less persuasive.

Emphasize a practical post-conference outcome

Explain what you will do with the knowledge and contacts gained. Examples could include:

• Updating a community conflict-management programme.
• Sharing lessons with colleagues.
• Improving a research method.
• Developing a policy recommendation.
• Organizing a local training session.
• Strengthening a cross-border collaboration.
• Integrating community perspectives into a conservation programme.

Do not assume the grant is paid before travel

The official payment arrangement states that travel-grant recipients will receive cash in Bangkok on March 3, 2027. Prepare accordingly.

Submit early

The deadline is fixed at 23:59 GMT on October 31, 2026. Submitting early gives applicants time to address internet, form or email problems.

Keep the statement within 150 words

Exceeding the maximum length may weaken the application or result in text being cut off. Draft and count the words before pasting the response into the form.

Travel-Grant Sponsors

The sponsor logos displayed on the official page identify:

• Fondation Segré.
• Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation.

The conference is organized by the IUCN SSC Human-Wildlife Conflict & Coexistence Specialist Group.

Other Funding Opportunities Listed by the Conference

The official page also refers applicants to two external funding sources:

• British Ecological Society travel-grant opportunities.
• Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture travel grants.

These are separate programmes with their own eligibility rules, application procedures and deadlines. Applicants should not assume that the HWCC Conference application automatically places them under consideration for either external opportunity.

Conclusion

The 2027 HWCC Conference travel-support programme provides an important opportunity for people working on human-wildlife conflict and coexistence to participate in an international gathering in Bangkok.

Applicants can request one of three forms of support: free conference registration, US$500 toward travel expenses or US$1,000 toward travel expenses. Priority will be given to residents of countries not classified as high-income, students and people contributing to the conference programme, but the published information does not restrict applications exclusively to these groups.

Applicants should carefully consider the payment arrangement before applying. Travel awards are scheduled to be paid in cash at the conference on March 3, 2027, rather than before departure. Successful recipients may therefore need to finance their initial travel and attendance expenses independently.

The main application requirement is a concise 150-word explanation of how conference participation will advance the applicant’s work and why financial assistance is needed. Clear, specific and honest responses will be more effective than broad descriptions of conservation challenges.

Applications must be submitted in English through the official online form by 23:59 GMT on October 31, 2026. Applicants are expected to receive the outcome by November 15, 2026.

Official information: HWCC Conference Travel Grants

Official application: Travel Grant Application Form

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