SoundGirls – Gaston-Bird Travel Fund

The SoundGirls – Gaston-Bird Travel fund has been established to increase the presence of women and those that identify as women at trade conferences. Women who have been invited to speak, or sit on panels at audio-related trade conferences are welcome to apply.

Fill out the application

Make a Donation

Scope:
This fund is meant to increase the presence of women and those identifying as women at audio-related trade conferences and conventions.

Rationale:

Many audio-related conferences and conventions are male-dominated. Women in various posts on social media have written, “I’d love to be part of this panel, but I don’t have the funds to go.” All-male panels at audio-related trade shows are currently the norm.

  • Who Qualifies:
    Women and those identifying as women who have been invited to speak at a conference related to audio or at a technical conference on a topic related to audio.
  • Conference organizers who would otherwise not have funds to attract women experts in the field.

Criteria:

  • Invitation to speak / letter of support from host
  • 3 Letters of Recommendation
  • Demonstrated professionalism
  • List previous speaking engagements (panels, papers, workshops, etc.)
  • Essay – why is this important for you?

Types of costs covered:

  • Awards are made depending on availability of funding.
  • Airfare and lodging (depending on funding, lodging might be with a woman in audio host).

Types of costs not covered:

  • Registration fees are not covered because the conference organizers are ususally willing to cover these.
  • Per diem costs (meals) are not covered.

Process

Applicants who have been accepted to a conference fill out the application.

Applications are peer-reviewed by a committee of professional women working in audio.

Applicants are notified by email of their acceptance usually within two weeks of submitting the application and dependent on funding available.

Funds will be dispersed via PayPal.

Sponsors

The funds will be hosted by SoundGirls and sponsors will be sought who can earmark funds for the travel fund.

Sponsors: you can make a tax-deductible donation here or contact soundgirls@soundgirls.org for more information.

Examples of Disciplines:

  • Audio for VR
  • Game Sound
  • Live Sound
  • Sound for Film and TV
  • Radio & Broadcast
  • Recording Arts

Examples of Conferences:

  • AES (Audio Engineering Society) Conventions, International
  • AES Conferences, International
  • Loop, International
  • INFOCOMM, USA
  • Red Bull Academy, UK
  • TEDx, International
  • Klingt Gut!, Germany
  • NAMM
  • LDI
  • GameSoundCon
  • Technology. Innovation. Design. Experience (TIDE)
  • TIDE
  • Association of Motion Picture Sound (AMPS), UK
  • Verband Deutscher Tonmeister (VDT)
  • The Verband Deutscher Tonmeister (VDT)
  • Pax Dev, USA

FAQ’s/Items to consider:

Are there funds available for women who simply want to attend?

No, but SoundGirls provides scholarships for coninuing education. Have a look at SoundGirls scholarships.

What if my paper or workshop hasn’t been accepted yet?

We can only offer funds to papers that have been accepted, but you are still welcome to apply. Simply check the box indicating approval for your paper is pending. If your paper is not accepted, your application will be withdrawn.

I’m a sponsor who would like to support SoundGirls and the travel fund.

You can support both. Please get in touch with us at soundgirls@soundgirls.org.