Psychology’s Michael flies to success thanks to Santander Travel Fund

A Psychology student got the chance to network with academic leaders, better engage with his doctorate, and enhance research for his planned book thanks to two financial support programmes.

The Santander Travel Fund is open to undergraduate and postgraduate students at the University who wish to travel overseas to help improve their education, employability, or entrepreneurship.

Particularly welcome are applications from students who have encountered barriers to study and can demonstrate how this will benefit themselves and the University.

One of the lucky recipients of the Travel Fund this year is Michael Daw, a postgraduate researcher, who received £1,000 to help him on his way to a major international consciousness conference in Arizona. Michael also put in a successful bid for money from the University of Northampton’s Chancellor’s Fund, receiving £750.

Michael says: “Tucson and the conference centre were great, it was interesting being surrounded by cacti, hummingbirds, and even the odd roadrunner!

“I wanted to go to the conference to conduct research related to a book I am writing about non-physicalist theories of consciousness. These theories attempt to explain how we come to have subjective experiences. Because consciousness exists in every part of our life, all the time, this might be one of the most fundamental questions there is.

“In terms of the book I’m planning, whilst there are already books out there that make the case for non-physicalist explanations of consciousness, none of them (as far as I’m aware!) focus on the range of specific theories and are written for a generalist, non-academic audience. I hope that my book might plug that gap.”

The conference was intense, but Michael had the chance to attend many talks and plenaries by researchers. But the key for him was networking in-person with leading figures in the field, including physicists, neuroscientists, and parapsychologists. These included many of the most prominent names in consciousness research, such as David Chalmers, Stuart Hameroff, and Christof Koch, as well as spiritual leaders such as Deepak Chopra.

Michael continues: “Obviously, you can learn a great deal from watching their presentations online, but it’s not so easy to discuss them afterwards over a beer and to make chance encounters with people who share the same interests. It all helps to chew over ideas and to get new perspectives.

“I’ve been self-funding my PhD, so the £1,000 from the Santander Travel Fund was extremely valuable. Everything was much more costly than I’d anticipated, as the event was in an expensive resort close to the mountains and away from alternative eating places. Without the £1k contribution – plus the Chancellor’s Fund – I’d have been severely out-of-pocket. The money from the Fund means I’ll be able to attend other conferences later in the year.”