SCAR receives its funding primarily through the National Contributions of its Member countries. SCAR also receives funds through grants and other proposals for specific projects. Members also provide additional voluntary contributions to fund specific activities, such as Fellowships and Visiting Professorships. It is also possible to make donations to SCAR.
The SCAR financial year is matched to the calendar year and annual accounts are prepared on that basis and submitted to Companies House and Charity Commission in the UK. This reflects SCAR's status as a registered company and charity in the UK.
Delegates approve budgets to reflect the priorities for SCAR over 2 year periods, with updates on an annual basis at the Delegates and Executive Committee meetings. All budgets and financial statements are posted on the SCAR website once approved.
SCAR aims to spend less than 40% of its budget on administrative costs.
National contributions
The table below shows the National Contribution levels associated with each SCAR member for 2019 and 2020.
Countries becoming new SCAR members join at the Associate Member level. This is intended to be a temporary categorization as we hope involvement in SCAR helps to build their programmes and thus they move to the next levels.
Full members may also choose to move to higher levels as their own research activities broaden and their standing in the Antarctic community increases.
Changes to the National Contribution structure and fees are decided at the biennial SCAR Delegates Meetings.
Elected Categories and National Contributions for 2023 and 2024
| Category | Contribution | No. of Members | Total | Member |
| Special Contributors | $27,500 | 2 | $55,000 | Russia, USA |
| Well-Developed Programmes | $21,200 | 16 | $339,200 | Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Spain, UK |
| Initial-Stage Programmes | $12,400 | 16 | $198,400 | Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Finland, Malaysia, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, Ukraine, Uruguay |
| Associate Members | $7,000 | 12 | $84,000 | Austria, Belarus, Colombia, Denmark, Iran, Luxembourg, Mexico, Monaco, Pakistan, Romania, Thailand, Venezuela |
| Total: | 46 | $676,600 |
Details of National Contributions in previous years
Expense Claims
If you need to submit a claim for expenses, please complete a copy of the claim form, sign it and send it along with all relevant receipts electronically to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. There are separate forms for Travel Claims and for General (non-Travel) Expenses, please be sure to use the correct form:
Travel Claim Form:
General Expense Claim Form:
Note: If the links to expense claim forms are not working, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to ask for whichever form you need.
For details on what can and can't be claimed using the Travel Claim Form please see the guidance below:
- pdf SCAR Travel Claim Information (125 KB) (updated 11 February 2019)
Budgets and Financial Statements
See all SCAR Budgets
See all SCAR Financial Statements
Donations Policy
pdf SCAR Fundraising and Donations Policy 2017 (147 KB)
The SCAR Development Council (2011-2018) was tasked with identifying sources of external funds and developing a strategy to diversify SCAR’s financial resources beyond membership fees.
Standing Committee on Finance
The SCAR Executive Committee appoints the three-member Standing Committee on Finance that is responsible for advising the Executive on financial matters. At each SCAR Meeting, the Standing Finance Committee is augmented by two further members who constitute the Finance Committee for the particular meeting. The principal task of this Finance Committee is to consider all applications for SCAR funds and to recommend to the SCAR Delegates' Meeting a budget for each of the two following years.
The current members of the Standing Committee on Finance are:
| Prof Jefferson Simões (VP Finance, 2016-20) | Brazil |
| Dr Marcelo Leppe | Chile |
| Prof Mike Bentley | UK |