Applications are open for the 2024 Graduate Student Research Awards from the Department of Energy! Perform Graduate Theses Research at U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratories!

From The Department of Energy Office of Science's webpage:

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science is pleased to announce that the Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program is now accepting applications for the 2024 solicitation 1 cycle. Applications are due on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. ET.

SCGSR application assistance workshops will be held on March 7, 2024, 2:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m. ET and April 18, 2024, 2:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m. ET. The first workshop will provide a general overview of the program and the application requirements. It will also include a time for attendees to discuss their potential research topics and their alignment with the SCGSR priority areas with managers of each participating program office; register here. The second workshop will guide attendees through the application process, answer general questions, provide guidance on proposal writing, and feature discussions with scientists and former awardees; register here.

The SCGSR program provides supplemental awards to outstanding U.S. graduate students to conduct part of their graduate thesis research at a DOE national laboratory or facility in collaboration with a DOE laboratory scientist. The goal of the program is to prepare graduate students for scientific and technical careers critically important to the mission of DOE’s Office of Science. The research opportunity is expected to advance the graduate students’ overall graduate theses while providing access to the expertise, resources, and capabilities available at the host DOE laboratories.

SCGSR is open to U.S. Ph.D. students in qualified graduate programs at accredited U.S. academic institutions, who are conducting their graduate thesis research in targeted areas relevant to DOE’s Office of Science. Since its inception in 2014, the SCGSR program has provided support to over 1,066 graduate awardees from 161 U.S. universities to conduct thesis research at all 17 DOE national laboratories across the nation.

The SCGSR program is sponsored and managed by the Office of Science’s Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists, in collaboration with the Office of Science’s six research programs offices and two research and development and production offices, and with DOE national laboratories/facilities. Program administration support is provided by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education.

More information on the SCGSR program can be found by visiting the SCGSR program website, attending the program’s virtual office hours which are held every Tuesday between 4:00–5:00 p.m. ET via this Zoom link, or by emailing the SCGSR team.

Welcome to 20-1-4: the year of opportunities Galore!

I wish you all a Happy, Happy New Year! 

Summer Research
I want to remind all of you that this is the time of year to begin thinking about your plans for Summer 2014. Many research programs will begin soliciting applications now with deadlines occurring between the end of January 2014 thru March 2014. This blog has some summer research programs listed for you to browse through. The most recent addition is the summer research experience for undergraduates (REU) that is available at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh. 

FAFSA
Also remember if you are applying for college, that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA) is now available for the 2014-2015 school year. When I applied for college, my parents could not support me financially so I filled out a FAFSA.  Thankfully, my college tuition, housing and other fees were primarily paid using grants, loans and work study that I received in my financial aid package. Do not let the cost of attending college deter you! 

Conferences
Scientific conferences occur throughout the year. Remember to determine whether the conference you would like to attend offers travel grants/stipends. Many do, but it may be contingent on submitting an abstract to present your research (orally or as a poster). So check out 1) conference dates, 2) abstract submission deadlines, and 3) travel grant/stipend deadlines. Check out conferences here.

I am sure that there are many other things to consider and remember at this time of the year, but these three topics were immediately on my mind. If you would like to share others, send me an email. Best, Minority.Scientist

LearnLab Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates

Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program Description

LearnLab at Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh has an exciting summer research opportunity available to undergraduate students. This research program encourages applications from students who would like to conduct research in the fields of psychology, education, computer science, human-computer interfaces and language technologies.  This program seeks broad participation, including members of underrepresented groups as defined by the National Science Foundation (African American, Hispanic, Native American) who may be considering pursuing further graduate study in the learning sciences.

LearnLab's REU program allows talented undergraduates to spend 8 weeks during the summer in a research laboratory at Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh, or one of our research partners. The REU program aims to make LearnLab's programs more visible to students not traditionally exposed to our fields. The REU program supports LearnLab's commitment to training a diverse set of science, technology, education, and psychology leaders.

Applications are encouraged from students who wish to learn to conduct research in a modern academic research laboratory under the guidance of experienced scientists and engineers and experiment in real classroom environments. The REU program will expose students to the excitement and opportunities of a research career. This experience will provide excellent preparation for students interested in subsequently pursuing a Masters or Ph.D. degree. Although students from other years may apply, this opportunity is most fitting for a student at the end of the junior year of undergraduate studies.

Each student will receive a fellowship stipend of $4000 for the eight-week REU program. Food, housing and travel will also be provided. Students will conduct research in an area matched to the interests expressed in the student's application. Guidance and supervision of the research project will be provided by the faculty member as well as, in some cases, a postdoctoral fellow and/or advanced graduate student.

Seminars specific to those participating in the REU program will be held weekly including seminars on graduate admissions and career opportunities in science, education, computer science and engineering. In addition, LearnLab seminars and those held by Carnegie Mellon's Human Computer Interaction Institute and Language Technologies Institute and seminars at Pitt's Language Research and Development Center will be open to the students, giving them exposure to a wide range of research in learning sciences.

REU Program Benefits

There are several benefits that the participating students may receive.

• If the student’s research in the summer is of high quality and has added value to an ongoing research project, past students have been asked to be a coauthor on the research team's publication on that subject. Addition of publications to the resume of a graduate school applicant always greatly improves the application.
• If the quality of the research is high, the faculty member who advised the student would likely be willing to write a letter of recommendation for the student which could be included in a graduate school application.
• Research experience in one of the National Science Foundation's premier research centers will be viewed attractively.
• Scholarships may be available for graduate research on projects in LearnLab. The student should inquire about these possibilities during the summer.

REU Program Dates: Students will begin their research experience on Sunday, June 1, 2014 with a welcoming reception and information session.  The REU program will end on Friday July 25, 2014 with a poster session in the afternoon.. Submission of an application indicates that the applicant agrees to be present from June 1 to 4pm, July 25, 2014 inclusive.

Application Deadline: Deadline for applications is February 17, 2014. Students will be informed of our decision by March 3, 2014.

Minimum Requirements: Applicants must be current undergraduates who are U.S. Citizens or have current F1 visas.  Applicants should have a minimum of 3.5 GPA out of 4.0 although we will consider students who show by other measures that they are exceptional and who have GPAs over 3.2. Class standing and grades in specific subjects that are close to the field of research will also be considered, as are recommendations.

Number of slots/ positions available: LearnLab can accommodate as many as 10 positions, although in any given year, we may decide to fund less than 10 applicants

Funding Source: National Science Foundation

Partner Institutions: Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Learning

Send completed applications to:
LearnLab - Summer Internship Program
c/o Jo Bodnar
3501B Newell-Simon Hall - HCII
Carnegie Mellon University
5000 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowship

2014-15 Application Deadline: November 1, 2013

"The AAAS Fellowship is an amazing opportunity for scientists but more importantly, it is the best way to incorporate smart, accomplished scientists into the policy making process for the betterment of the nation."

-Dr. Terry Adirim, 2006-07 AAAS fellow at the Department of Homeland Security

The deadline to apply to the 2014-2015 AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowship class is quickly approaching. For over 40 years, scientists, social scientists, and engineers have applied their knowledge and technical expertise to policy-making while developing valuable career enhancing skills. Join a network of more than 2,800 current and alumni fellows impacting policy and forging new careers! 

Please share this information with your networks.

DEADLINE

The deadline for applications is November 1, 2013, 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Apply athttps://fellowshipapp.aaas.org/

ELIGIBILITY 

Applicants must hold a doctoral level degree (PhD, MD, DVM, etc.), in any of the following:

- Social/Behavioral sciences

- Medical/Health disciplines

- Biological, Physical or Earth sciences

- Computational sciences and Mathematics

- Engineering disciplines (applicants with a master's degree and three years of experience also qualify).

All degree requirements must be completed by the application deadline.

Visit http://fellowships.aaas.org/04_Become/04_Eligibility.shtml to learn more about eligibility and selection criteria.

BENEFITS 

Stipends range from approximately $74,000 to $99,000. Other benefits include health insurance, travel/training allowance and relocation allocation. For more information about benefits, visit 

http://fellowships.aaas.org/05_Support/05_index.shtml.

DETAILS  

To learn more about the AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships, visit:http://fellowships.aaas.org.

HAVE QUESTIONS!

Join us on Facebook or Twitter or contact Fellowships staff at fellowships@aaas.org or 202-326-6700.

National Space Biomedical Research Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

NSBRI is a NASA-funded, non-profit research consortium charged with developing biomedical countermeasures and technologies for potential health problems that could occur in astronauts either during long-duration spaceflight, on exploration missions, or upon return to Earth.  NSBRI’s current program, aligned with NASA’s exploration objectives, consists of approximately 44 science and technology projects organized into research teams.


NSBRI invites ground-based research applications for Postdoctoral Fellowships. Minority.Scientist briefly summarized the details of this fellowship opportunity below, but please review the entire application for more information. Good luck!

Proposals:  Proposals can either address topics of interest to one of the seven existing NSBRI research teams, or the supplemental cross-cutting research area of Food Science, which has importance to both NSBRI and the NASA Human Research Program (HRP). The seven research teams are as follows:

• Cardiovascular Alterations
• Human Factors and Performance
• Musculoskeletal Alterations
• Neurobehavioral and Psychosocial Factors 
• Radiation Effects 
• Sensorimotor Adaptation
• Smart Medical Systems and Technology

Who can apply: The program is open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents or persons with pre-existing visas obtained through their sponsoring institutions that permit postdoctoral training for the project’s duration.

Duration: Postdoctoral Fellowships will be competitively awarded for two years, with an opportunity for a third year renewal, in any laboratory in the U.S. conducting biomedical/biotechnological research aligned with NSBRI’s goals

Stipend: First year- $42,500; Second year- $43,775

Deadline: June 7, 2013

NSBRI-RFA-13-01: NSBRI Request for Applications Soliciting Postdoctoral Fellows

Dory Yochum Scholarship, $5000

MentorNet to award $5000 to an outstanding woman protege in STEM   

DEADLINE MAY 15, 2013  

MentorNet announced today that it will award $5000 to an outstanding woman protege in honor of its long time champion and Chair of the Board of Directors, Dory S. Yochum. 

On December 5, 2010, MentorNet was profoundly saddened to lose Dory. She worked for 32 years at AT&T Labs, rising to the position of Vice-President and Chief Operations Officer. She also served on the Board of Fraser Research and as Chief Administrative Officer of PalmSource. Dory was a leader in research and technology and an exemplar for our protégés and mentors. To honor and promote her legacy, MentorNet has launched this first annual Dory S. Yochum Scholarship.
To be eligible, a  candidate must be a woman currently pursuing any postsecondary degree in any field of science, technology, engineering or math at a partnering campus or society and a current or former protege of MentorNet. 

Apply by May 15, 2013 by sending an email to DoryPrize@mentornet.net with the following:

• A description of your experience as a MentorNet protégé, your current status and pursuits as a student, and your career ambitions. Your entry can be in any medium:
   video or animation (no more than 2 minutes),
  audio (no more than 5 minutes), or
  text (no more than one page); 
• Recommendation from a MentorNet mentor;
• Resume or curriculum vitae, including your contact information

• DEADLINE MAY 15, 2013

Summer Science Opportunities for YOUTH

I came across this webpage today that lists many opportunities for young people to get involved with science-related activities for Summer 2013. Opportunities include internships (paid and unpaid) at places like Kaiser Permanente, NASA, MIT, Stanford, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC San Francisco, California Academy of Sciences, and the list goes on. I am so happy to find this resource and be able to share it with you, as you all know how excited I am to expose young people to science. Thank you to the Stanford Office of Science Outreach for putting together this great resource!

Contents of the link as described by website: This is a listing of summer science opportunities for students interested in gaining work experience, extending their lab skills and/or going deeper into science!!! This list is provided for informational purposes only, and does not imply endorsement or recommendation by Stanford’s Office of Science Outreach.


Link to resources: Summer Science Opportunities-Internships, Programs and Camps Summer 2013

The NeXXt Scholars Program

The informational PDF flyer can be downloaded by clicking here.

 The New York Academy of Sciences is an independent, not-for-profit organization that since 1817 has been committed to advancing science, technology, and societies worldwide. With 25,000 members in 140 countries, the Academy is creating a global community of science for the benefit of humanity. The Academy's core mission is to advance scientific knowledge, positively impact the major global challenges of society with science-based solutions, and increase the number of scientifically informed individuals in society at large. 

Visit us at www.nyas.org.

The New York Academy of Sciences

Check out these events and opportunities from The New York Academy of Sciences!

**Deadline for Poster Abstracts and Travel Fellowship Applications this Friday, March 23, 2012**

12th International Conference on Myasthenia Gravis and Related Disorders Conference

Conference dates: May 21 - 23, 2012

Website & Information: www.nyas.org/MG12

**Deadline for Abstracts is Monday, March 26, 2012**

Genome Integrity Discussion Group Meeting

Event Date: April 2, 2012

Website & Information: http://www.nyas.org/Apr2012

**Deadline for Poster Abstracts next Friday March 30, 2012**

Fetal Programming and Environmental Exposures: Implications for Prenatal Care and Pre-Term Birth Conference

Conference dates: June 11 - 12, 2012

Website & Information: www.nyas.org/FetalProgramming

*Call for Poster Abstracts.  Deadline: April 06, 2012

5th Annual Advances in Biomolecular Engineering Symposium

Event Date: April 27, 2012

Website & Information: http://www.nyas.org/​BiomolEng2012

*Call for Abstracts. Deadline: April 08, 2012

Malaria 2012: Drugs, Vaccines, and Pathogenesis

Event Date: April 17, 2012

Website & Information: http://www.nyas.org/​Malaria2012

*Call for Poster and Short Talk Abstracts.  Deadline: Friday, April 27, 2012

Inositol Phospholipid Signaling in Physiology and Disease

Conference dates: June 26 - 27, 2012

Website & Information: www.nyas.org/Inositol2012

*Call for Poster Abstracts.  Deadline: May 18, 2012

Chemical Biology Discussion Group Year-End Symposium

Event Date: June 6, 2012

Website & Information: http://www.nyas.org/​YearEnd2012

UPCOMING EVENT:

Monday, April 9, 2012 | 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

Introduction to Scientific Teaching

http://www.nyas.org/​ScienceTeaching

Dr. Matthew R. Marcello will introduce key elements of Scientific Teaching in this interactive workshop based on the Howard Hughes Medical Institute/National Academies Summer Teaching Institute on Undergraduate Education in Biology. He will introduce the core Scientific Teaching concepts (active learning, diversity, and assessment) and practical information on how to incorporate these concepts into the classroom to improve your teaching effectiveness and student learning outcomes. The workshop will provide current and future faculty the knowledge and skills to incorporate scientific teaching principles into their courses.

About the New York Academy of Sciences

For nearly 200 years, the New York Academy of Sciences has brought together extraordinary people working at the frontiers of discovery and promoted vital links between science and society. The leading minds of academia, industry, and government depend on the unique forum the Academy provides for insight into the most important questions in all disciplines of science. For more information, visit www.nyas.org.

Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research Scientific Summer Internship Program

Below is a great opportunity to perform PAID scientific research during Summer 2012. Good luck! -Minority.Scientist 


Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research
Scientific Summer Internship Program
Application deadline: January 6, 2012 
Program Dates: June 4th - August 10th, 2012

Program Overview   
Imagine performing research at a leading global pharmaceutical corporation while gaining practical experience and contributing to the search for new disease therapies. Through the scientific intern program at the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR), your contribution to the search for new disease therapies can begin before you graduate. Our program is designed to introduce talented students to drug discovery and to train them in experimental work in this area.  NIBR's research covers many disease and technology areas, and allows us to closely match your specific interests with one of our labs.

Applications are currently being accepted for opportunities in Biology, Biochemistry, Biostatistics, Chemistry, and Computer Science.  Our program is a paid, full-time summer internship at our Cambridge, MA research facilities.  Financial support towards housing and travel will be available and based on the Company's non-discriminatory assessment of the applicant's financial need. 

NIBR is committed to providing transformative opportunities to students from unique cultural, socioeconomic and educational backgrounds that will benefit from such an experience. This includes, among others, talented individuals who are currently underserved in the sciences, for example, first generation college students, socioeconomically disadvantaged students, and individuals with learning differences.

To apply to the Internship Program in Cambridge, MA  click here.

For internships at our other research sites (Emeryville, CA; Basel, Switzerland; East Hanover, New Jersey; Horsham, United Kingdom), please visit http://www.nibr.com/careers/internships.shtml

Cross-Talk Fellowship!

Here is a great opportunity to attend the CROSS-TALK meeting hosted by the University of Debrecen in Debrecen, Hungary to be held August 31 through September 4, 2010!

CROSS-TALK is an Initial Training Program, funded under the FP7 (European Commission). CROSS-TALK gathers 14 young researchers and 4 associated fellows in Europe in the field of the human microbiome metagenomics to study the health-promoting cross-talk between intestinal microbiota and Humans.

CROSS-TALK is offering fellowships to young researchers to attend this meeting and more information about the conference is available at the Cross-Talk website. Applications are welcomed until July 20, 2010. Check out the agenda for this meeting.  

More about CROSS-TALK (information gathered from the Cross-Talk website):

• The objective is to train a new generation of young scientists, to meet the growing demand for researchers with training in host-microbe interactions and metagenomics, a new supra-disciplinary calling for competencies in microbiology, cell biology, immunology, human physiology, high throughput technologies and bioinformatics, through a personal and adapted training program.

• CROSS-TALK has the overall scientific objective to answer key questions on the role of the host-gut microbiota cross-talk in the development and maintenance of a healthy gut and to achieve major breakthroughs in the understanding of the mechanisms underlying the dialogue between the intestinal microbiota and hosts.

• CROSS-TALK will provide individual training through research projects and organise 3 types of group training events: 1) network meetings allowing scientific exchanges within the network and meeting between all ESRs and supervisors; 2) spring schools focused on the development of transferable skills with a strong involvement of the economic sector and meeting between the economic players and the ESRs; and 3) workshops, time to broaden scientific knowledge and talk with recognized scientists not only in the field of CROSS-TALK but also in cognate fields which represent other career perspectives for the ESRs. Their combination will lead to young researchers who can meet the need of the metagenomics discipline for new curricula and the requirements for European trans-sectorial careers.

AcademyHealth Minority Scholars Program

Just came across this opportunity from the AcademyHealth website:

"The newly established AcademyHealth Minority Scholars Program supports the cost of travel and registration for 15 scholars to attend the Annual Research Meeting (ARM), pre-ARM Methods Workshops, and the Disparities Interest Group Annual Meeting. The program also covers the cost of AcademyHealth membership. The goal of the program is to support the professional development of underrepresented minorities in the field of health services research (HSR). Students and fellows with an interest in HSR and/or disparities research are encouraged to apply.

AcademyHealth defines underrepresented minorities in the field of HSR as the following racial/ethnic groups: Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian/Alaska Native. This definition is derived from findings of a recent study conducted by Moore and McGinnis."

Women in Science

Visit the listed organizations to learn more about scholarships/fellowships and other valuable career resources (i.e. networking and mentoring opportunities) for women in the sciences.
*American Chemical Society Women Chemists Committee
*American Physical Society Committee on the Status of Women in Physics
*Association for Women in Computing
*Association for Women Geoscientists
*Association for Women in Mathematics
*Association for Women in Science
*Graduate Women in Science
*National Center for Women in Information Technology
*National Research Council Committee on Women in Science and Engineering
*Society of Women Engineers
*Women in Global Science and Technology
Want to add more organizations? Send a link!

Scholarships for women and minorities

 

For the most updated funding opportunities, be sure to click on "fellowships and scholarships" in the label cloud ----->

 If you would like to share a funding opportunity, please send an email to Minority.Scientist(at) gmail.com and include the funding organization and a link to the website where the information can be located. Thanks!   

• FREE scholarship databases (via UCSF student financial aid office website)
  CareerMD: Provides career management resources for medical students, residents, and doctors. It features FellowshipFIND, a comprehensive database of fellowships related to different medical specialties.
  
  FastAid: A scholarship search database co-sponsored by David Cassidy, author of The Scholarship Book. FastAid is helpful to international students.
  
  FastWEB: An extremely popular database with more than 1.5 million scholarships, fellowships, grants, and loans. Students can set up a mailbox with personalized information so that they may check for new awards and update their portfolio periodically. New scholarship information can be e-mailed to students.
  
  FinAid: The SmartStudent Guide to Financial Aid: An extremely comprehensive guide to all student financial aid information and free scholarship, grant, and fellowship search databases. This website offers advice on college education planning and scholarship scam alerts.
  
  GrantsNet: Useful for medical and graduate students interested in biomedical or life sciences research funding, postdoc toral scholars, and research administrators. GrantsNet allows users to save and update their scholarship profile and to receive e-mail alerts about new funding opportunities. Useful for international students.
  
  IEFA: International Education Financial Aid: Scholarships and private loans for international students and students interested in studying abroad. Some are also available to U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
  
  NextStudent Scholarship Search Engine: One of the oldest scholarship databases that contains over 6.2 million scholarships based on many different qualifications and a broad range of criteria such as academic achievements, community services, family heritage, and special talents or aptitude.
  
  SRN Express: Helpful to international students, especially Canadian citizens. This database also includes student loan forgiveness programs for graduates who need alternatives for repayment.
  
  SchoolSoup: World's Largest Scholarship Database
  
  Student Awards: Canada’s free scholarship search service website.
   
• List of scholarships for women 
• American Society of Hematology (ASH) Minority Medical Scholar Award Program 
• Brookhaven Women in Science (BWIS) Renate W. Chasman Scholarship for Women 
• Huge list of undergraduate/graduate scholarships, fellowships, etc. sponsored by FASEB
  
• 100 Free Minority Scholarships: Free listing of scholarships for underrepresented minorities pursing science-related degrees
  
• American Chemical Society: Chemistry Scholarships for African American, Hispanic, and American Indian Students max $5,000 
• American Geological Institute: AGI Minority Participation Program  
• American Institute of Chemical Engineers: Minority Scholarship Awards for Incoming College Freshmen   $1,000; Minority Scholarship Awards for College Students $1,000
  
• American Physical Society: Minority Scholarship $2,000-$3000 
• American Society for Microbiology: ASM-Microbiology Undergraduate Research Fellowships $6,000  ASM Robert D. Watkins Graduate Research Fellowship $63,000 (over 3 years)
• Latino College Dollars: Search database for scholarships for Latinos
  
• NASA: Motivating Undergraduates in Science and Technology (MUST) up to $10,000
  
• National Institutes of Health:Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards for Individual Pre-doctoral Fellowships (F31) to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research 
• National Science Foundation: SBE Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowships and Follow-up Research Starter Grants (MPRF) 
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute: Undergraduate Fellowships for Minorities Summer Research Program $468/week for 10 or 12 weeks 

More  funding opportunities
 American Physiological Society:
American Psychological Association Fellowships in the Neurosciences
American Society for Microbiology Graduate Research Fellowship

FASEB/MARC Programs

Ford Foundation Predoctoral Diversity Fellowships
Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowships

Graduate Women in Science Fellowships
L’Oreal Women in Science International Fellowships
SACNAS Genome Scholars Fellowship Program
Society for Neuroscience Scholars Program
UNCF/Merck Science Initiative

If you are a PhD student who has already selected a thesis laboratory and you belong to an underrepresented group, your thesis adviser may be able to apply for a research supplement. For more info, visit the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Supplements (GRS) to Current ENG Awards to Broaden Participation (nsf 09-045)

Scientific research conferences for minorities

Within the last six months, I had the opportunity to attend three different scientific conferences to present my research. When first approached about attending these meetings, I was immediately overjoyed at the thought of traveling, but then I suddenly became nervous of what others would think of my work. I am generally a shy person and get even more so at the thought of sharing my research with colleagues more senior than myself. To overcome my shyness, I prepared my research poster and practiced what I would say at the conference. Then, I briefly scanned the NCBI Pubmed website for new and relevant publications to be sure I was current on happenings in my field of research.

The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) conference I attended offered a poster presentation session for minority students to showcase their research aside from the general poster session of the conference. (I would like to note that I was able to attend this conference virtually for free due to a travel grant issued by the (ASCB Minorities Affairs Committee (MAC).) Once at the poster session, I hung my poster and marveled at the number of minority scientists at all levels in their careers in attendance at the conference. Now is the time to admit that I was still nervous to present at this conference. Why? Because I brought my five-year-old daughter with me. I am a single parent and generally where I go, my daughter goes. So, there we were, my daughter and I, at a national research conference and it was time to present my poster.

As I presented to judges and fellow students, post-docs, faulty, etc., I realized how truly beneficial it is to my career to share my research with other scientists. First and foremost, you verbally communicate your research ideas with other scientists from all backgrounds. Presenting to those who are not intimately familiar with your topic forced me to learn how to explain my work for the masses. It was also a time for me to be critical of my communication skills. So, you may wonder how it worked out with my daughter there during the poster presentation. Well, she asked questions about the poster just as my audience! I did not expect that.

Conferences to check out!

• American Association for Cancer Research
• American Chemical Society
• American Society for Microbiology 
• Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students
• New England Science Symposium 
• Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans

About travel grants and awards

• Who can receive an award? This depends on the conference. Some conferences offer awards to undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, and faulty members.
• How to apply for an award? Most conferences have an application process which includes submitting an abstract of your research for review.
• How much is the award? The travel grants typically range from $500-1500 and may cover conference registration fees, travel, lodging, and dining expenses.
• When will I receive the award? Most awards are received either at the conference or after the conference. Thus, be prepared to pay for conference-related expenses. SAVE ALL RECEIPTS.

If a conference you are interested in does not offer a travel award, it may offer discounts on airfare, rental cars and/or hotels! So, check with the conference's hosting organization to learn how you can reduce conference costs.  Also, seek out funding mechanisms from your home college, which often have monies set aside for conference expenses. If you don't ask, you will not know what is possible.