PATT travel grants for competitively awarded observation time 2026
Forecasted
PATT travel grants for competitively awarded observation time 2026 support UK-based observers with travel and subsistence to carry out competitively awarded science observing runs at astronomy facilities.
This grant was recently updated
Applications are now closed; the opportunity was previously listed as open, and the application link has been removed.
Funder: UK Research and Innovation
Due Dates (Anticipated): October 2027 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: Minimum £15,000 over two years; 100% of full economic cost
Summary: Travel and subsistence support for UK-based observers undertaking competitively awarded science observing runs at astronomy facilities.
Key Information: For groups with travel costs exceeding £7,500 annually; a UK observer’s presence must be essential or facility-required.
Description
UK Research and Innovation’s Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) offers PATT travel grants to support access to astronomy facilities for the UK research community. The two-year awards cover travel and subsistence associated with competitively awarded science observation time. The Panel for the Allocation of Telescope Time (PATT) reviews applications and advises on support.
Funding supports observing visits to facilities receiving STFC funds, including e-MERLIN, the Isaac Newton Group and Liverpool Telescope, and to PATT-approved telescopes. Other telescopes require prior approval. The scheme funds observing travel rather than the wider research project: salaries, equipment and researcher time belong under relevant research grants. Commissioning work and observations at private facilities are excluded, while data collection, collation and reduction visits receive support only exceptionally.
