Federation of European Microbiological Societies

Registered charity 1072117 · since 1998fems-microbiology.org·Europe, International·Updated 30 October 2026

At a glance

€215k
Annual giving, year to 31 December 2024
From filed accounts
Invitation only
Unsolicited applications are not accepted

This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. Don't spend time on an approach; the similar funders below support the same kind of work.

Key takeaways

  • Only apply if you are a microbiology professional who belongs to a FEMS Member Society, because the listed grants are for those people, and the register says FEMS is by invitation only and does not accept unsolicited requests, so a cold approach is unlikely to succeed.
  • Its grant amounts are capped per programme: up to €5,000 for Research and Training Grants, up to €750 for Meeting Attendance Grants and up to €15,000 for Meeting Organiser Grants, so a request should be sized to one of these.
  • Deadlines fall on 1 January and 1 July for Research and Training Grants, 1 March and 1 September for Meeting Attendance Grants, and 1 May and 1 November for Meeting Organiser Grants.
  • A non-member organisation, or any meeting outside the European Area for the Meeting Organiser Grants, should not apply.

Overview

Federation of European Microbiological Societies is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1072117).

The Federation of European Microbiological Societies is a charity registered in England and Wales, set up to advance research and education in microbiology across Europe and beyond. Its stated mission is to raise the visibility, reputation and impact of microbiology by connecting people and sharing knowledge. In its annual report it awarded €215,015, of which €154,165 went to individuals.

What they fund

Priority Areas

FEMS describes its grants as a way to help microbiologists advance research, expand networks and strengthen microbiology across Europe and beyond. Its funding covers microbiology research, education, policy, business and scientific communication. It supports early-career researchers from FEMS Member Societies with research and training visits, and travel to microbiology meetings worldwide. FEMS Member Societies can also seek support for selected scientific conferences, laboratory workshops and training courses in the European Area, strengthening collaboration and scientific communities. The grants are for professionals who belong to a Member Society; early-career researchers are PhD students or researchers within five years of their highest degree, with certain leave and illness periods excluded from that calculation.

Themes

  • Research
  • Education
  • Policy
  • Business
  • Scientific communication

Geographic Focus

European Area; worldwide.

What they don't fund

  • People who are not professionals or are not members of a FEMS Member Society
  • Research and Training Grants only:
    • research or training at a host institution in the applicant’s country of residence
    • applicants who are not active microbiologists
    • applicants whose highest degree was obtained five or more years before the application deadline and who are not PhD students
  • Meeting Attendance Grants only:
    • applicants who are not active microbiologists
    • applicants whose highest degree was obtained five or more years before the application deadline and who are not PhD students
    • applicants who are not presenting authors (oral or poster) at the meeting
    • applications to attend FEMS-sponsored meetings
  • Meeting Organiser Grants only: meetings outside the European Area

How to apply

Applicants for Meeting Organiser Grants apply through the FEMS Grants submission system using a FEMS profile or account.

Deadlines:

  • Research and Training Grants deadlines fall on 1 January.
  • Research and Training Grants deadlines fall on 1 July.
  • Meeting Attendance Grants deadlines fall on 1 September.
  • Meeting Attendance Grants deadlines fall on 1 March.
  • Meeting Organiser Grants deadlines fall on 1 May.
  • Meeting Organiser Grants deadlines fall on 1 November.

Application windows:

  • Research and Training Grants: Deadlines are in January and July.
  • Meeting Attendance Grants: Deadlines are in September and March.
  • Meeting Organiser Grants: Deadlines are in May and November.

Who can apply:

  • FEMS Grants are only available to professionals who are members of a FEMS Member Society.

What to send:

  • Grants Regulations
  • CV Format guide
  • Research & Training Grants, Meeting Attendance Grants: Supervisor Endorsement
  • Industry Placement Grants, Meeting Organiser Grants: Endorsement Form
  • Meeting Organiser Grants: Budget

Application success factors

What the charity says:

  • Meeting-organiser applicants must use at least 60% of the total awarded grant value to support Early Career Scientists' attendance.

Where they fund

Where it says it funds

  • Europe
  • International

Similar funders

Funders supporting work similar to Federation of European Microbiological Societies.

Grants

Not included above: 2 with no named recipient.

Five years of accounts

Financial yearIncomeExpenditureGrants paidAccounts document
year to 31 December 2020£2,727,401£1,431,489£218,236Accounts for year to 31 December 2020
year to 31 December 2021£2,777,983£1,003,242£55,332Accounts for year to 31 December 2021
year to 31 December 2022£2,915,426£1,839,440£194,117Accounts for year to 31 December 2022
year to 31 December 2023£3,640,536£2,725,862£38,732Accounts for year to 31 December 2023
year to 31 December 2024£1,961,874£1,761,123€215,015Accounts for year to 31 December 2024

Income vs grants paid

IncomeGrants paid

Total value each financial year

YE 2020
£218k grants
YE 2021
£55,332 grants
YE 2022
£194k grants
YE 2023
£38,732 grants

Grants paid stayed within income across the 4 years shown.

Year to 31 December 2024 not shown: grants paid were reported in euros and income in pounds.

  • Grants paid, year to 31 December 2020; year to 31 December 2021; year to 31 December 2022; year to 31 December 2023: grants to institutions, as reported on the charity register (Part B).
  • Grants paid, year to 31 December 2024: grants awarded in the year, as reported in the accounts.

Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.

Sources

  • Annual report (year to 31 December 2024)

This profile draws on the funder’s own website as well as its filed accounts.

Sources last checked on 30 October 2026.

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