Dear Mark Lorenzen, Thank you for accepting my paper (Paper ID: 69759, Paper title: "Is European Research Council science conducive to inventive activity?") for the parallel paper session at the upcoming DRUID conference. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to present my research at this prestigious event. As an early-stage researcher at Bocconi University, I regret to inform you that my Permesso di soggiorno (Italian Residence Permit) has expired and I have applied for its renewal, which typically takes 4-6 months.* Unfortunately, according to Italian government guidelines, I am not permitted to travel to other Schengen countries during this period. While I am hopeful to receive my Permesso di soggiorno by June, there is no certainty. In exceptional circumstances, the Italian government can grant a temporary travel permit, but this is solely at the discretion of police officers.* Given my circumstances, I would like to request some relaxation on the conference fee payment. Additionally, I would like to know if it is possible to receive a refund on the conference fees in the event that I am not allowed to travel by the authorities. I would greatly appreciate it if you could inform me whether any relaxation is available due to exceptional circumstances. Thank you for your understanding and I look forward to your response. Best regards, Jay Prakash Nagar