I’m a PhD student. We are hosting a conference at my university. I am presenting multiple papers and also expected to volunteer to help with the conference.
The conference fee is quite steep. However, my department has indicated that there is no funding to cover the fee. There may be funding from other sources, such as my supervisor however they have not brought it up.
Would it be appropriate to request reduced or free conference registration fees based on the amount of time and effort I’m putting into it (which in this case is significant)?
Comments
Don’t volunteer if they don’t offer free attendance.
Yes, it’s totally appropriate to request this.
Students who are volunteering typically get reduced fees for academic conferences. It’s inappropriate to *expect* someone to volunteer and not offer that. This is only more the case if you’re also the host organization.
If you volunteer for an event at your own university, they should waive the conference fee. What sometimes happens is that a basic minimal fee is used, e.g. to cover for catering. Sometimes local students get everything free, but they have to pay only the optional costs if they want to participate in any of the social events (e.g. a fancy dinner).