Requesting leave to attend a conference

Having your paper accepted is half the way; the other half is your employer’s approval of your absence, and perhaps of your travel costs. A clear request with all its attachments is approved the first time; an incomplete one comes back with a question that eats days out of a tight schedule.

When to send it

• Straight after the acceptance letter, and at least four to six weeks before the conference – approvals, tickets and visas all take time.
• To your head of department first, who forwards it to the dean or whoever approves it under your university’s rules.

What it must say

• The full name of the conference, the organiser, the place and the dates.
• The title of your paper, that it was accepted for presentation, and the date of acceptance.
• The leave requested in days, including travel days.
• What the department and university gain: publication in the proceedings or journal, representing the university, contact with specialists.
• Any financial support requested, itemised: registration fee, ticket, accommodation.
• How your teaching will be covered during the absence: who stands in, or how it will be made up.

Attachments

• The conference’s acceptance letter.
• The call or the programme, with your name in it if published.
• The abstract of your paper.
• A cost estimate if you are requesting support.

A template to edit

Filled in from “14th International Conference on Islamic Applications in Computer Science and Technologies – IMAN 2026: AI and Islamic Sciences, New Technological Horizons” – check what is in brackets.

How to write an abstract a conference accepts · Open calls for papers