Alumni generosity propels postgraduate research to new heights
The 125th Anniversary International Travel Fund, established thanks to donations, has helped almost 100 postgraduate researchers attend prestigious conferences.
Conference attendees at the 25th Sagan Summer Workshop held at Caltech in California
In 2025, nearly 100 Birmingham researchers across all fields of research attended conferences across the world thanks to support from the 125th Anniversary International Travel Fund. From Canada to Japan and many places in between such as Portugal, Norway, Hong Kong and Vietnam, postgraduate researchers have been able to meet with leaders in their field, whether it be in cancer genomics and heart research, the history of medicine and Baltic history, or fuel cell research and biomaterials.
Attending these prestigious conferences and events gives those early in their research careers the chance to showcase their work on an international stage, receive feedback and stay at the forefront of innovation – essential to their research and to developing breakthroughs. Crucially, they also meet key academics in their areas, improving visibility in respective research communities and can develop confidence in presenting and communication.
Amy, Aleyna and Marta are three PhD students who would not have been able to attend these conferences without support from alumni.
Inspiring early career researchers
Amy, a final year biomaterials PhD student, attended the European Society for Biomaterials (ESB) 2025 Conference in Turin. Her PhD focuses on investigating how the mechanical behaviour of hydrogels changes with temperature, time and physical forces. The goal is to design materials that can adapt to the wound environment rather than remaining static during healing. She presented a poster on her research and gained invaluable feedback on the direction of her research.
‘ESB 2025 opened my eyes to different directions I could take once I finished my PhD, whether continuing in wound healing research, moving into other hydrogel or biomaterials applications, or considering industry roles,' said Amy. 'Attending an international meeting at this stage of my PhD was incredibly rewarding. The real-time feedback on how I could improve the quality of my work, along with insights into the state of the field, gave me inspiration for the type of researcher I wanted to become.
'None of this would have been possible without the 125th Anniversary Travel Award. I was very grateful for this support.’
The conference opened my eyes to different directions I could take once I finished my PhD.
Amy at the ESB conference in Turin
Networking with leading US astronomers
Aleyna is a first year Physics and Astronomy PhD student whose research is focussed on exoplanets – planets that orbit other stars. In particular she is investigating circumbinary planets which orbit two stars at once. Aleyna attended the 25th Sagan Summer Workshop held at Caltech in California, USA, a workshop about the architectures and demographics of exoplanetary systems.
‘Attending this workshop was incredibly valuable to me especially since I am in the first year of my PhD,' said Aleyna. 'I was able to network with a lot of astronomers from the US many of which I would not have usually met over here in Europe. This was particularly impactful because I got to meet people from NASA, JPL and NExSci which are all very important US organisations in astronomy. I had the opportunity to have lunch with the speakers of the conference, including the chief scientist of the Exoplanet Archive – a vital database for us exoplanet scientists – as well as a lot of fellow PhD and postdoctoral students. None of this would have been possible without the funding I received from the 125th Anniversary Travel Fund, allowing me to travel all the way to the US.’
I was able to network with a lot of astronomers from the US many of which I would not have usually met over here in Europe.
Aleyna at the 25th Sagan Summer Workshop held at Caltech in California, USA
Boosting confidence
Marta attended and presented at the Baltic Connections Conference in Helsinki, in Finland, an event that brought together international scholars specialising in economic history, Cold War studies and regional transformation.
‘Presenting at an international conference pushed me to refine how I speak about my work,' said Marta. 'It helped me get better at managing time, staying focused and communicating clearly – all of which are useful beyond academic settings too. The Q&A sessions and informal conversations also boosted my confidence when talking about my research with people from different disciplines. It’s shown me the value of engaging with others in person and reminded me how energising these academic spaces can be.
‘This trip was hugely valuable, both for my research and for my personal and professional development. It gave me space to think more deeply about my work, improve how I present and talk about it and make connections that I hope will last beyond the conference. I’m really thankful for the support that made it possible and am excited to carry forward everything I’ve learned into the next stage of my PhD.’
This trip was hugely valuable, both for my research and for my personal and professional development. It gave me space to think more deeply about my work, improve how I present and talk about it and make connections that I hope will last beyond the conference.
Marta talking at the Baltic Connections Conference in Helsinki, Finland
The University is committed to being a global institution that fosters academic excellence and international collaboration, and it is thanks to generous donations from alumni that we can offer talented postgraduate students the chance to attend prestigious conferences, symposiums and workshops, improving the global visibility of the University of Birmingham.