Dh is a postdoc researcher and his boss wants him to fly to Dublin to present their work and meet other researchers and colleagues. However, they want him to pay from his own pocket or apply for a travel grant. He has found a couple of places to apply to but is stuck at the 'reason for applying for a travel grant' section (only a couple of lines).
Could he just write Our department has no funding available? He can't go if he has to pay from his own pocket as we're overdrawn and he's already spent money on 2 conferences with hotel and train fares last year that haven't been refunded.