About IAFOR's Scholarships
IAFOR is dedicated to helping young scholars achieve their research and academic goals, while also encouraging them to apply the principles of interdisciplinary study to their work.
IAFOR offers two different conference scholarships to PhD students and early career academics who might not otherwise have the financial resources to be able to attend our academic conferences.
- 1) The Stuart D. B. Picken Scholarship covers cover travel, accommodation, and the conference registration fee.
- 2) The IAFOR Scholarship covers the conference registration fee.
Who can receive a conference scholarship?
Awards are based on the appropriateness of the educational opportunity in relation to the applicant’s field of study, financial need, and contributions to their community and to IAFOR’s mission. Scholarships will be awarded based on availability of funds from IAFOR and will vary with each conference.
How are recipients of a conference scholarship selected?
Stage 1:
Applicants submit a conference abstract via the Call for Papers by the Early Bird Abstract Submission Deadline (May 14, 2026). Applicants who have submitted exceptional abstracts and been accepted for presentation will proceed to the Stage 2.
Stage 2:
Applicants are invited to:
Record and upload a 60-second video briefly introducing themselves and telling why they want to present their research at the conference, and how their research aligns with IAFOR’s mission to promote international exchange, facilitate heightened intercultural awareness and encourage interdisciplinary discussion.
Submit a full (or working) paper of their research that has not been published or presented elsewhere.
Based on video presentations and the quality of the submitted paper, the Selection Committee will select successful applicants.
The Selection Committee reserves the right to withhold scholarships if exceptional candidates are not identified.
How can I apply for a conference scholarship?
If you are eligible for an IAFOR grant or scholarship and would like to be considered, please submit your abstract via the Call for Papers page and select the checkbox for the relevant award during the submission process. Abstracts must be submitted by the Early Bird Abstract Submission Deadline (May 14, 2026) in order to be considered for funding. Applicants will be notified of Stage 1 results within four weeks of the Early Bird Abstract Submission Deadline.
IAFOR Scholarships
Partial conference scholarships are available to cover conference registration fees for PhD students and early career academics to present at IAFOR conferences. Priority will be given to applicants whose work aligns with IAFOR’s mission to promote international exchange, facilitate heightened intercultural awareness and encourage interdisciplinary discussion.
Eligibility:
- Students currently enrolled in a PhD or Master’s degree programme
- Early career academics (academics who have completed a postgraduate degree programme within the last five years)
Conditions:
Abstracts submitted after the Early Bird Abstract Submission Deadline (May 14, 2026) will not be considered for the scholarship. If you are awarded a scholarship it is understood that you will attend the conference. If you are unable to attend the conference, your scholarship will be forfeited.
The Reverend Professor Stuart D. B. Picken (IAFOR), Professor Arthur Stockwin, OBE (The University of Oxford) and Professor Jun Arima (University of Tokyo) discuss Japanese security at The European Conference on Economics, Politics and Law 2014.
The Stuart D. B. Picken Scholarship
The Stuart D. B. Picken Scholarship is awarded to PhD students and early career academics who are in need of funding to complete their research, and whose work demonstrates academic excellence. Priority will be given to attendees whose work is closely aligned with IAFOR’s mission to promote international exchange, facilitate heightened intercultural awareness and encourage interdisciplinary discussion.
Recipients receive a full scholarship to cover travel, accommodation, and conference registration fees for The 7th Barcelona Conference on Arts, Media & Culture at which their work will be showcased.
Eligibility:
- Students currently enrolled in a PhD or Master’s degree programme
- Early career academics (academics who have completed a postgraduate degree programme within the last five years)
Conditions:
Abstracts submitted after the Early Bird Abstract Submission Deadline (May 14, 2026) will not be considered for the scholarship. If you are awarded a scholarship it is understood that you will attend the applicable IAFOR conference. If you are unable to attend the conference, your scholarship will be forfeited.
About the Stuart D. B. Picken Memorial Fund
Stuart D. B. Picken was a cherished friend and an inspiration to IAFOR and its community of supporters. In honour of Professor Picken and his dedication to academia, the ideals of intercultural understanding and the principles of interdisciplinary study, IAFOR has created the Stuart D. B. Picken Scholarship, an award supported by the Stuart D. B. Picken Memorial Fund. Awards will be made to PhD students and early career academics who are in need of funding to complete their research, and whose work demonstrates excellence in the core values of academic rigour, intercultural sensitivity and interdisciplinarity.
About Stuart D. B. Picken (1942–2016)
The late Reverend Professor Stuart D. B. Picken began his distinguished career in academia as a Rotary Scholar on a research trip to Japan. A native of Scotland who had dedicated himself to religious studies, he immediately became fascinated by Japanese culture and the practice of Shinto. He was particularly drawn to the parallels and differences he saw in Western pedagogy compared to that of the East and began a lifelong mission to bridge the communication and knowledge gap between the two worlds.
The late Reverend Professor Stuart D. B. Picken
His groundbreaking and controversial work on suicide in Japan made his name within the country, but it was his subsequent work on Shinto that influenced the rehabilitation of the religion at a time when it was dismissed in the West as pagan and primitive, or unjustly caricatured for its wartime associations.
Whether in his research or teaching, Picken devoted much of his life to increasing understanding between his adopted country of Japan and the West, and in 2007 he was recognised with the Order of the Sacred Treasure, an imperial decoration for his pioneering research and outstanding contribution to the promotion of friendship and mutual understanding between Japan and the United Kingdom. He also served as the International Adviser to the High Priest of the Tsubaki Grand Shrine, one of Japan’s largest and oldest shrines.
From 2009 he was the founding Chairman of The International Academic Forum (IAFOR), where he was highly active in helping nurture and mentor a new generation of academics, and facilitating better intercultural and international awareness and understanding.