Research Conference- Legit or Money Making Scam?

[Johnmyx]

Hey,

So, impressed with a paper I submitted, a prof of mine forwarded said paper and abstract to a research conference taking place at a University, which was subsequently accepted. I was excited about all this until I got an email from one of the conference's organizers imploring me to register for the conference and pay accompanying fees (what!!??)

Now I'm an undergrad with zero experience on this so naturally I had some questions;

Is paying a fee to present at a research conference normal? My natural reaction is to see this as some sort of money making thing preying on the naivety of approval seeking students. The institution is a legitimate Canadian University and the keynote speakers are, as far as I can tell, legitimate and published PHD's in the field. But still; I cant shake this deep, foreboding sense that I'm being "took".

Am I wrong to feel this way? Again, I have absolutely no (read zero) experience with this sort of thing.

Thanks.

[POG0628]

A young woman in my honors seminar is attending an undergraduate research conference at UCLA and informed me that she not only submitted an application fee with her abstract, but also was required to submit $10 once she accepted their invitation to attend (http://www.psych.ucla.edu/undergraduate/purc/applying).

Now, I'm not sure how much they are asking you to pay, or if it's a conference specifically catering to undergraduate presentations as my classmate's conference is, but it does give me the impression that at least under some circumstances this is to be expected.

Perhaps your professor might have some (more definitive) thoughts as well?

Edited April 8, 2012 by POG0628

[Gauche]

It's perfectly normal for conferences to ask for registration fees if your paper is accepted. I'm also an undergrad, and I presented at two conferences this year, and while one asked for a registration fee, the other one didn't. Plus, I've attended one of the regional conferences in my field last year, and I had to pay a fee (even though I didn't present), so it's perfectly normal.

If you're still feeling unsure, I've been looking at different organizations in my field that have their annual conferences, and I noticed that their fees can add up to $100+ so if you're attending a conference where mostly undergrads are presenting and you have to pay something like that, I would be a little hesitant too.

Edited April 8, 2012 by Gauche

[purpledinosaur]

Yes, most conferences ask for registration fees. They often also ask you to pay membership fees if the conference is related to an organization. Sometimes you can get scholarships to cover these fees, but this depends on the organization and the conference.

It is completely normal, though; I have had to pay at least a registration fee for almost every conference at which I've presented (one was at my own uni so the fee was waived).

[Behavioral]

Not to sound like a dick, but where do you think the money comes from to finance the costs of setting up these conferences?

[robot_hamster]

Personally, I've never heard of a conference that didn't charge some sort of fee.

[go3187]

Is paying a fee to present at a research conference normal?

As others have said, it's normal. The only people who don't normally have to pay (or are reimbursed by the organizers) for their registration fee, accommodation, etc. are invited speakers. The chances of getting an invited talk as a grad student are about 0 though. In some cases, the department (or your supervisor, if he has grant money that he's willing to spend on you ) might cover traveling fees, accommodation, conference dinner, registration, and so on; our department does it for conferences in Europe, as long as you have your advisor's approval to participate. That's clearly not the case for you this time though, since you were asked to pay the registration fee for a conference organized by your university.

[Johnmyx]

All very informative answers, thanks.

Professor responded to same question with much of the same: apparently the registration fee is miniscule compared to some of the bigger conferences out there and registration fees are, by and large, standard at these things. There is a free dinner included, so WIN, I guess.

[Behavioral]

Once you're a graduate student, start looking for travel grants and subsidies provided by your department and graduate school. I've gotten a little over $1,000 as a first year in travel funding and some of the older students have gotten around $2,000.

[TakeruK]

The typical conference fees are around $200-$500 per person, depending on the length, location etc. It's usually cheaper for students than professors.

However, I have never paid for a conference registration fee (that I've been sent to) out of my own pocket. If your prof/supervisor submitted your work to the conference, he/she should pay for your costs out of their grant. Usually, if someone sends you to a conference, they will also pay for your travel, accommodations, and food while at the conference (after all, you are working when attending a conference).

But it's not always the case that the prof has the grant money to send you (or they might not want to fund you...which is strange in this case since they submitted your work!), so as others said, there are usually travel scholarships. These can come from a lot of places -- the most obvious is with the conference organizing body themselves, but as an undergraduate student, you probably could qualify for some travel grants funded by your Undergraduate student association, your own department, faculty or even University. Sometimes these awards are competitive but sometimes they are automatic as long as you apply for them and you present your own work.

In general, conference organizers are NOT trying to take advantage of students. They tend to do as much as they can to encourage students to attend and present, and usually the student registration fee is much lower than a fee for a faculty member, and there may be extra workshops or activities for students included as well.

Although the registration fee for this conference is small as you said, what about travel costs and accommodations (it sounds like it's a one-day local conference though so maybe you don't have to worry about that?). All of my profs/mentors have advised me that students should never have to pay to attend a conference if you are presenting, because you are doing work. Yes it does help you meet people, but when you present good work, you are representing your supervisor and your University in a good way so it's beneficial for them. Sure, this might not cost you very much if you only have to pay a small registration fee, but on principle, I think you should at least ask your prof/supervisor if they are able to support/fund you.