To foster a truly global philosophical dialogue, the 2028 World Congress of Philosophy will provide travel grants and support for personal assistants to support participation by diverse researchers from around the world.

(1) Travel Grant Program

Because opportunities to attend an international congress vary considerably across the world, travel grants will be allocated with the aim of reducing barriers to participation and enabling those who might otherwise be unable to attend to take part in the Congress.

Applications will open on March 1, 2027, and will be considered on a rolling basis. Travel grants will be awarded subject to the availability of funds. Applicants are therefore encouraged to apply as soon as they meet the eligibility requirements set out below.

Each applicant is assigned 0-3 or 0-1 points for the three criteria below. The total score (0–7) will serve as the basis for assigning applicants to one of three travel grant categories, subject to the number of eligible applications and the availability of funds.

Three Criteria

• Estimated air accessibility from the applicant's country of residence to Japan (0-3) ¹;
• The World Bank income classification of the applicant's current primary country of residence ² (0-3); and
• The applicant's employment status (full-time employed³ or not)　(0-1).

*Notice

¹ Air accessibility is estimated on the basis of the overall ease of air travel from the applicant's country of residence to Japan, including the availability of direct or connecting international flight routes, the number of connections generally required, and the total travel distance. Higher scores indicate more difficult access to Japan.

² https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/opendata/who-moves-up-and-why--a-closer-look-at-the-new-world-bank-group-

³ This category includes persons in non-permanent full-time employment.

Three travel grant categories

• JPY 200,000
• JPY 100,000
• JPY 50,000

To promote broad geographical participation, part of the available travel-grant capacity will initially be reserved for applicants from the following regional groups: Africa; Latin America and the Caribbean; South Asia; West and Central Asia and the Middle East; South East Asia and the Pacific; and eligible countries in Europe and the Caucasus. These regional protections are intended to prevent the available grants from becoming disproportionately concentrated in a small number of regions. In addition, travel grants will normally be limited to a maximum of 20 recipients from any one country while these geographical protections remain in effect. Unused geographical and grant-category protections may be progressively relaxed during the application period so that remaining funds can be made available to other eligible applicants. Applicants who cannot immediately receive an award solely because of a temporary geographical, country-level, or grant-category limit may be placed on a waiting list; in such cases, the date and time at which the application became complete will be retained for purposes of priority.

(2) Support for Personal Assistants

Participants with disabilities who require the assistance of a personal assistant in order to attend the Congress may apply for financial support for one accompanying personal assistant. A grant of JPY 50,000 will be provided for the accompanying personal assistant, regardless of the travel grant category awarded to the participant.

(3) Eligibility

Travel grants are available only to participants whose academic contribution has been accepted by the Congress.
Applicants must satisfy one of the following conditions:

• Thematic Session presenters: the submitted abstract has successfully passed peer review and has been accepted for presentation.
• Round Table organizers and participants: the proposed round table has been officially approved by the Congress.
• Student Session presenters: the submitted abstract has successfully passed peer review and has been accepted for presentation.

(4) Application

Applicants will be asked to complete the designated online application form and upload the required supporting documents.
Required documents include:

1. All applicants must upload a copy of an official photo identification document (such as a passport).
2. Applicants who hold a full-time academic appointment may also apply for financial assistance and are not required to submit any additional documentation regarding their employment status.
3. Applicants who are affiliated with an academic institution but do not hold a full-time academic appointment, including part-time academic staff and undergraduate or graduate students, must upload a letter* signed by a full-time academic staff member who is familiar with the applicant's current professional status, certifying that the applicant does not currently hold any full-time academic appointment.
4. Applicants who are not currently affiliated with an academic institution must upload a letter* signed by a full-time academic staff member who is familiar with the applicant's current professional status, certifying that the applicant does not currently hold any full-time academic appointment.
5. Applicants requesting support for an accompanying personal assistant must upload a document certifying their disability. The personal assistant is not required to pay a registration fee.

*Notice

¹ The letter must include the certifier's full name, position, institutional affiliation, and official institutional email address. The use of institutional letterhead is strongly encouraged.

² The organizing committee reserves the right to contact the certifier or the institution for verification purposes. If the organizing committee requests verification and does not receive a response within a reasonable period, it may be unable to approve the application for financial support.

(5) Disbursement of Travel Grants

Travel grants will be provided only in cash upon completion of on-site registration.

(6) Important Notice

Travel grant categories are determined using standardized criteria and are not intended to reimburse the applicant's actual travel expenses or airfare.
Travel grants will be awarded until the available budget has been exhausted. Applicants are therefore strongly encouraged to submit their travel grant application as soon as they meet the eligibility requirements set out above.
The Congress Secretariat may request additional documentation or clarification where necessary in order to verify eligibility and supporting information. The review process may therefore vary depending on the completeness of each application.
The Congress Secretariat reserves the right to determine eligibility and the level of travel grant support based on the published criteria and the information provided by applicants. Decisions regarding travel grant awards are final.
Personal information and supporting documents submitted in connection with a travel grant application will be used solely for the administration and review of the Travel Grant Program, including eligibility verification and grant payment. Access will be limited to authorized personnel. Such information will be retained only for as long as necessary for these purposes and for any applicable legal, accounting, or audit requirements, after which it will be securely deleted or disposed of.

(7) Application Form

Applications will open on March 1, 2027.