Hi guys,

So I'm in my second year and I have never been to any conferences outside of 100km radius of my city. I feel like it's a part of a PhD experience to travel and I'm feeling cheated. I have presented to the department and have a paper on the way and I feel like I should go to a conference. Meanwhile my supervisor is using funds to make 5 trips all over the world within a year. I have brought this up already and she said that unless it's a high profile conference I won't get much out of it professionally and I'm better of publishing papers. She said that the only thing I would get out of it is "a free trip". But I WANT A FREE TRIP! I kept quiet at the time but am now wondering if I should push this issue further. She always keeps saying that my work is great and yet I feel like I'm not deserving of being sent to a conference. Other than that we have a pretty good relationship, regular meetings, feedback, support etc. I need some advice if I should push the conference thing further...

Ok, it is good to get trips away to conferences. I haven't been on one yet and I am in my second year also. I am going on one in July however to China but I was asked if I would like to go. One way you may be able to go is to find one you feel would be usefull and then find funding to go to it. By being proactive in finding funding it will:

a) look good on your cv
b) show how much you want to go on it

Allthough travel is good you shouldn't take it for granted

I don't always agree that they have to be the super high profile ones. I'm not sure how much you get out of them, because you don't get the chance to network too much because all the big speakers are too important...

A lot of people turn their noses up at postgrad-only conferences, but I've made so many contacts with people at a similar stage to me, which is now helping me when looking for post-doc projects.

lostinoz, are there any conferences coming up that are more important? I only attended conferences in England for my first 2 years but I knew there was money in the pot for one abroad. My supervisor suggested which one. It happens that I will be attending 2 (I got a scholarship for one) in my final year both of which will be the best ones for me to attend (as well as free travel).

Maybe your supervisor says no because of funding restrictions?

Thare is one coming up in mid 2009 that's very important. I have found this out myself (sup didn't tell me) so I felt that's "a hint" that she doesn't plan for me to go. Yes funding is definetly a problem, but when I started something similar to this happened and 3 people from our departmwnt were sent - I wasn't. That was fine at the time as they were all more senior than me and I was a starting student. But I have a feeling that new guy that's been here for like 3 months will be sent to that conference in 2009 and I won't. Maybe it's still too early to plan for it? Should I mention that conference to my sup and ask something like "Any chance of me going?" and see what she says?

I had the exact same problem with my director!! I even prepare the presentation or poster he was presenting in congress without me there!!! I had to do something so I push a little more and I talked to other person going to the same congress I wanted to go to and I tried to found some possible travel awards to help manage the cost (I don't know what field...your in...maybe there ain't any)... and then he had to let me go....and finally did
you will go some day...be proactive!!! don't give up

I think you should ask if you can attend that conference in 2009. If she says no, then you need to start thinking about funding options and sort it out yourself. If that other guy gets to go and you don't well you need to find out why that is.

I asked her via email and said that I want to disucuss it in person. I didn't receive a reply yet but will bring it up in the next meeting. I felt that mentioning it beforehand will give her a chance to think rather than just out-of the-blue asking in person. But if she says no and I find out the new guy is going, well the s%@# will hit the fan.

I've been trying to go to one conference a year - presenting or with a poster. One conference gave me some funds, otherwise I have to fund myself - no hope of getting funding from my dept. I think it's been worth it - but I only go within europe - can't afford to go any further.

I talked to the sup. and she said yes to that international conference in 2009! No problems for the funding either. I really wasn't expecting this, but hey I'm happy.

P.S. She also said that the new guy will go only if there is any leftover funding - but I'm going for sure.

Congrats- that is a good result!

Excellent news! Enjoy it next year

Maybe too late, but I was going to post to say that I went to 2 conferences at my university and 1 whole lab one in the UK. I was quite indignant for a while!
I was determined I was going to an international conference in my final year, got advice from supervisor/lab and went. Had I known I would be there a 4th year I might have been less impatient and waited for a more interesting/relevant one.