Students/Early-Career Professionals/Minorities in STEM-C Fields = YSA [1]

Engaging our students, early-career professionals, and members of under-represented groups, including those with no federal support, in STEM-C fields is a crucial component of SIAM-GLS 2015 [2]. In this document, we use the abbreviation YSA to refer to these young scholar applicants. Below are some procedures and a form that these scholars can utilize to apply for a grant to help defray their cost of participating in the SIAM-GLS 2015 program. 

Note: This Travel Award plan is contingent upon receiving funding support from NSF.

SIAM-GLS 2015 Young Scholar Applicants Travel Awards are given to help students, early-career professionals, and members of under-represented groups in STEM-C fields to gain the experience and exposure that comes from attending and presenting at SIAM-GLS 2015. The travel awards are intended to help them defray some of the costs of their attendance.

Eligibility

Students: Any full-time student in good standing at a U.S-accredited institution of higher learning is eligible to receive an award plus gratis conference registration. Top priority will be given to students presenting papers or posters at the conference: these students are authors / co-authors of papers or posters to be presented at the conference. Only students traveling more than 50 miles to the conference are eligible for an award.  

Post Docs/ Early-Career Professionals/ Minorities in STEM-C Fields:  Any post-doc or junior faculty member at a US-accredited institution of higher learning, and early-career professional in industry or R&D centers are eligible to receive an award.  Top priority will be given to those who are presenting at the conference and/or those who are members of under-represented groups in STEM-C fields. 

Supporting Travel to SIAM-GLS 2015 Conference:

NOTE: These travel support awards are contingent upon receiving NSF grant to fund the SIAM-GLS  2015 Annual Spring Conference to be held on May 2, 2015 at GVSU in Grand Rapids, MI.

Corporate sponsors are welcome to help us support students and other YSAs actively participate in the SIAM-GLS 2015 annual congress by donating to the conference general fund. .You may do this by becoming a sponsor.  For more information on how to become a sponsor, please click here. 

Applying for a SIAM-GLS 2015 Student / YSA Travel Award

Submitting your poster or paper for your participation in the conference program is a separate process from applying for a SIAM-GLS 2015 YSA Travel Award.  Applying for a travel award does NOT submit your paper. To submit your abstract/paper, visit the Presenters’ Center at the SIAM-GLS 2015 conference website. 

An application for a student travel award must include all the following:  

1. A statement requesting the travel award and providing the rationale for the request and explaining your interest in attending the conference. If you are giving a presentation at the conference, the statement should include the title of your presentation, the type of presentation (contributed lecture, poster and the name(s) and affiliations of your co-authors. If you are a SIAM /SIAM-GLS member, please indicate that in your statement.
2. A current curriculum vitae (CV) that includes your contact information, the expected date (month/year) of the award of your degree (Ph.D., M.S., or B.S./B.A.), the institution awarding your degree, and your advisor's name, and other relevant information including recent publications (if any). In addition, you may provide a URL for a working Web page that expands on the information in your CV. 
3. The name and e-mail address of your advisor who should be asked to provide a 1-2 page letter of recommendation commenting on your scholarly achievements and potential and on any special circumstances. This letter is required for students and should be sent directly by your advisor to [email protected]  You will not be able to directly upload the letter of recommendation as part of the application process, which is to be completed by way of the link at bottom. You should submit your application early enough for your advisor to have time to send the letter of recommendation to us before the deadline.

An application for non-student YSA travel award must include:  

A statement requesting the travel award; in it, make sure to provide the rationale for the request and explain your interest in attending the conference. If you are giving a presentation at the conference, the statement should include the title of your presentation, the type of presentation (contributed lecture, poster and the name(s) and affiliations of your co-authors. If you are a SIAM /SIAM-GLS member, please indicate that in your statement.  In addition, provide all the following:

1) A current curriculum vitae (CV) that includes your contact information and affiliations 

2) A research plan statement and other relevant information including recent publications (if any).  You may also provide a URL for a working Web page that expands on the information in your CV

All submissions must be in pdf format.

1. Evidence of scholarship, as found in CV and letter of recommendation from advisor.
   • Ordinarily this means a tendency towards graduate students and advanced undergraduate students.
   • Students nearing completion of their program tend to have a stronger record of scholarship.
   • Student’s research should be relevant to the topic/themes of the conference.
2. Evidence of active participation in the conference.
   • Those students making a relevant presentation tend to have better chance for support than those who are simply (non-presenting) co-authors.
   • Non-speaking co-authors of papers being presented by another person would have preference over those who are simply attending as an observer. 
3. Among those who excel on measures in #1 and #2 above, other factors may be considered:
   • Underrepresented groups (women and other minorities in STEM-C) may be given preference, especially for those awards made under an NSF grant. 

Complete applications must be received by SIAM-GLS 2015 organizers no later than April 8, 2015. On the deadline date, no application will be accepted after 5 p.m. current Eastern time. Deadlines apply to all required application materials, and no late applications will be accepted.

Pending funding by NSF, SIAM-GLS 2015 will have available limited travel support for student and other YSA participants at the SIAM-GLS 2015 conference.  The travel awards are in the amount up to $300 for travel to within 150 miles of the conference site; however, in cases in which in-state or intercontinental travel above 150 miles is required, the amount of the award will be increased up to $700. 

The awards (unless otherwise noted in the award letter) come with free registration and optional housing through the GVSU Housing facilities for a more economical rate. To obtain the support, an applicant awardee must file an expense report, including all required receipts, within 30 days of the end of the conference. Typically, these consist of the following conference related expenses only: registration fees, housing, food (per diem), and transportation (economy fare; or by personal car at the 2014 standard mileage rate of $0.56 per mile).

SIAM-GLS 2015 will extend up to 20 awards to support students and other YSAs to travel to the conference.  Underrepresented groups (women and underrepresented minorities in STEM-C) may be given preference, especially for those awards made under an NSF grant [3].

Apply for a SIAM-GLS 2015 Student/YSA Travel Award

[1]  YSA stands for young scholar applicant in reference to the individuals who are eligible to apply for the SIAM-GLS 2015 Travel Fund, namely,  students, early-career professionals, and members of under-represented groups, including those with no federal support, in STEM-C fields

[2] SIAM-GLS adopts the policy of the national SIAM Office governing travel awards for students,  early career-professionals, and members of under-represented groups in STEM-C areas.

[3] Note: The Organizers of SIAM-GLS 2015 reserve the right to make changes to this Travel Fund Program as they deem necessary without advance notice.  This will not affect awards granted prior to making said change(s).  All changes to this plan, if any, will appear online at the conference website.