Apply for a Travel Award

Important Dates

• Travel Award Opening Date: April 14
• Judge Travel Award Deadline: August 22
• Student Travel Award Deadline: August 28
• Graduate Student Travel Award Deadline: August 28
• Abstract Submission Deadline: September 8
• Judge Travel Award Dispositions: September 12
• Graduate/Student Travel Award Dispositions: September 29
• Abstract Dispositions: September 29
• ABRCMS 2023: November 15-18

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Prospective ABRCMS Student Travel Award applicants must satisfy the following criteria:

• Must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident, and
• Must be accepted to present a poster, oral, or ePoster presentation at ABRCMS 2023, and
• Must be a first-time ABRCMS in person meeting presenter (past virtual presenters are eligible to apply), and
• Must be a matriculated community college or undergraduate student at an accredited U.S. institution of higher education or a postbaccalaureate student in a formalized program who fulfills at least ONE of the following characteristics:
  • From racial and ethnic groups shown to be underrepresented in biomedical research including Blacks or African Americas, Hispanics or Latinos, American Indians (who maintain tribal affiliation or community attachment) or Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and other U.S. Pacific Islanders (Guam, America Samoa), or
  • Currently enrolled at a community college and completed at least 30 credit hours, or
  • From a disadvantaged background (from a family with an annual income below established low-income thresholds or from an educational environment that inhibited the individual from obtaining the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to develop and participate in a research career), or
  • First generation college student, or
  • Non-traditional student* (e.g., beginning post-secondary education at or after age 21, full-time employment, having dependents, taking longer than 6 years to complete a degree), or
  • U.S. military veteran, or
  • Individual with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, or
  • DACA eligible (must show proof of documentation)

A complete ABRCMS Student Travel Award application contains 3 parts:

1. Student Travel Award application submission due by 11:59 p.m. PDT on August 28.
2. Recommendation Form* from a research mentor, program director, or faculty member familiar with your research must be uploaded by 11:59 p.m. PDT on September 8.
3. Separate abstract submission due by 11:59 p.m. PDT on September 8.

*Your recommender will be emailed a unique URL to upload the recommendation form directly to your application on Friday, September 1. The completed form must be uploaded by Friday, September 8. It is your responsibility to give your recommender the recommendation form and confirm that it was uploaded on time. No exceptions will be made. Please note the recommender must use the official ABRCMS recommendation form. No letters will be accepted.

All applications will be reviewed and evaluated by the following criteria:

1. Academic achievement
2. Experience conducting independent research
3. Interest in biomedical and/or behavioral sciences
4. Motivation to attend ABRCMS
5. Funding need
6. Recommendation form

Highly competitive applicants have the following characteristics:

• Motivation to attend graduate school and pursue a Ph.D. or Ph.D./M.D.
• Strong recommendation form submitted by an individual familiar with the student's research
• Demonstrated financial need
• Well-written and thoughtful application

Full Travel Award:

• Complimentary conference registration (virtual or in-person) *, AND
• Complimentary housing at one of the conference hotels assigned by ABRCMS staff **, AND
• Travel to Phoenix, Arizona ***

Partial Travel Award:

• Complimentary housing OR travel as determined by ABRCMS staff

* Meals outside of the scheduled conference meals are not included in the travel award package.

** Awardees are required to share a room with a fellow travel awardee as assigned by ABRCMS staff.

*** Awardees must book with the designated ABRCMS travel agency. Tickets purchased outside of the travel agency will not be reimbursed.

Transportation to and from the airport is not included in the Travel Award package. Awardees are responsible for making their own arrangements.

As an ABRCMS Student Travel Awardee you will be held to a high standard. Your full participation in the conference is required. Awardees are required to attend the following:

• ABRCMS online webinar, Getting the Most Out of a Professional Scientific Meeting (July 2023)
• ABRCMS Student Orientation virtual session (October 2023)
• ABRCMS Travel Award Orientation virtual session (October 20, 2-3 pm ET)
• All conference sessions and activities (November 15–18)

In addition, you must:

• Present your poster/oral presentation at your assigned time
• Participate in two post-conference surveys (the conference survey and one specific to the travel award program)
• Stay for the entirety of the conference
• Stay in assigned conference housing and be a respectful roommate (if applicable)
• Complete affirmation forms and book travel by assigned deadlines (if applicable)

Those who are awarded a Virtual Registration must participate in the following:

• ABRCMS online webinar, Getting the Most Out of a Professional Scientific Meeting (July 2023)
• ABRCMS Student Orientation virtual session (October 2023)
• ABRCMS Travel Award Orientation virtual session (October 20, 2-3 p.m. ET)
• Present your ePoster presentation at your assigned time
• Participate in the conference survey

Failure to complete the requirements may result in being removed from the Student Travel Award or Virtual Registration Waiver Program.

A disposition email will be sent by September 29 regarding the final status of your application.

Submit Your Application

Prospective ABRCMS Graduate Student Travel Award applicants must satisfy the following criteria:

• Must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident, and
• Must be accepted to present at the Graduate Symposium or the Graduate Student Networking Reception, and
• Must be a first-time ABRCMS presenter at the Graduate Symposium (Doctoral) OR at the Graduate Student Networking Reception (Master’s) (past undergraduate presenters and virtual presenters are eligible to apply), and 
• Must be a currently enrolled graduate student (Master's level or Doctoral level) as of November 1 who fulfills at least ONE of the following characteristics:
  • From racial and ethnic groups shown to be underrepresented in biomedical research including Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, American Indians (who maintain tribal affiliation or community attachment) or Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and other U.S. Pacific Islanders (Guam, America Samoa), or
  • From a disadvantaged background (from a family with an annual income below established low-income thresholds or from an educational environment that inhibited the individual from obtaining the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to develop and participate in a research career), or
  • First generation college student, or
  • Non-traditional student (e.g., beginning post-secondary education at or after age 21, full-time employment, having dependents, taking longer than 6 years to complete a degree), or
  • U.S. military veteran, or
  • Individual with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, or
  • DACA eligible (must show proof of documentation)

Note: Eligible applicants cannot have travel support from any NIGMS funded programs. In addition, graduate students who are attending ABRCMS as part of an exhibits team are ineligible for the travel award.

A complete ABRCMS Graduate Student Travel Award application contains three parts:

1. Graduate Student Travel Award application submission due by 11:59 p.m. PT on August 28.
2. Recommendation Form* from a research mentor, program director, or faculty member familiar with your research must be uploaded by 11:59 p.m. PDT on September 8.
3. Separate abstract submission due by 11:59 p.m. PT on September 8.
   1. Oral abstract submission to the Graduate symposium (doctoral-level)
   2. Poster abstract submission to the in-person conference (master’s level)

*Your recommender will be emailed a unique URL to upload the recommendation form directly to your application on Friday, September 1. The completed form must be uploaded by Friday, September 8. It is your responsibility to give your recommender the recommendation form and confirm that it was uploaded on time. No exceptions will be made. Please note the recommender must use the official ABRCMS recommendation form. No letters will be accepted.

All applications will be reviewed and evaluated by the following criteria:

• Academic achievement
• Experience conducting independent research
• Interest in biomedical and/or behavioral sciences
• Motivation to attend ABRCMS
• Funding need
• Recommendation Form

Highly competitive applicants have the following characteristics:

• Motivation to continue a career in the biomedical and/or behavioral sciences
• Strong recommendation form
• Demonstrated financial need
• Well-written and thoughtful application

Full Travel Award:

• Complimentary housing at one of the conference hotels, assigned by ABRCMS staff, from November 13 – November 19 *, AND
• Travel to Phoenix, Arizona **

Partial Travel Award:

• Complimentary housing OR travel as determined by ABRCMS staff

* Awardees are required to share a room with a fellow travel awardee as assigned by ABRCMS staff.

** Awardees must book with the designated ABRCMS travel agency. Tickets purchased outside of the travel agency will not be reimbursed.

Conference registration is not included in the travel award package. Awardees are responsible for registering and paying the registration fees.

As an ABRCMS Graduate Student Travel Awardee you will be held to a high standard. Your full participation in the conference is required. Awardees are required to attend the following:

• ABRCMS online webinar, Getting the Most Out of a Professional Scientific Meeting
• ABRCMS Student Orientation virtual session (October 2023)
• ABRCMS Travel Award Orientation virtual session (October 20, 2-3 pm ET)
• Entirety of the ABRCMS 2023 (November 15–18), including the Graduate Symposium (November 14-15)

In addition, you must:

• Present your presentation at your assigned time
• Serve as a judge in at least three poster sessions during ABRCMS 2023 (applicable to senior-level graduate students only)
• Participate in post-conference survey

Failure to complete the requirements may result in being removed from the Graduate Student Travel Award Program.

A disposition email will be sent by September 29 regarding the final status of your application.

Submit Your Application

Prospective ABRCMS Judge Travel Award applicants must satisfy the following criteria:

• Must be U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents, and
• Must be an active researcher (at least 25% of time conducting research), and
• Must be a postdoctoral scientist, faculty member, or research scientist, and
• Must be interested in mentoring students and increasing diversity in STEM.

Program Directors from any of the following NIGMS funded programs, are NOT eligible to apply: RISE, MARC U-STAR, BRIDGES-BAC, BRIDGES-DOC, IMSD, PREP, SCORE, NARCH, or BUILD. Government employees cannot receive any funding or compensation from ABRCMS and therefore are not eligible to apply.

There are two different applications for the Judge Travel Award: (i) first-time judges and (ii) returning judges. First-time judges are individuals who have never judged during an in-person ABRCMS conference.

First time judges should be prepared to answer the following:

• Describe your current area(s) scientific research (limit to 500 characters)
• What your goals are for attending the conference and what you hope to accomplish by attending (limit to 500 characters)
• Describe (a) a meaningful experience you had as a mentor, (b) your current mentoring activities, and (c) your commitment to diversity (limit to 1-page)
• Describe your previous experience judging presentations (limit to 500 characters)

Returning judges should be prepared to answer the following:

• Describe your current area(s) of scientific research (limit to 500 characters)
• What your goals are for attending the conference and what you hope to accomplish by attending (limit to 500 characters)
• Describe (a) a meaningful experience you had as a mentor, (b) your current mentoring activities, (c) what you consider to be the most important aspects of your role as a judge, and (d) your commitment to diversity. Be sure to include insightful interactions or experiences you've had at past ABRCMS & if you have stayed connected to past ABRCMS attendees. (limit to 1-page)

Full Travel Award (New Judges):

• Complimentary conference registration, AND
• Up to $1,500 Travel Subsidy. To assist with the cost of airfare and housing.

Partial Travel Award (Returning Judges):

• Complimentary conference registration OR travel subsidy up to $1000 as determined by ABRCMS staff.

ABRCMS Judge Travel Awardees are required to:

• Review ABRCMS Student Travel Award applications (September 13-18)
• Participate in all pre-conference judge training
• Actively engage in the conference by attending sessions, mentoring students, and networking with peers
• Judge all scheduled poster, oral, and virtual sessions and submit scores prior to the deadline
  • (must arrive on Wednesday, November 15 and depart after 2 pm PT on Saturday, November 18 or Sunday, November 19). Judging for the virtual session on Saturday is required.
• Provide feedback through the post-conference survey administered by DePass Consulting

Failure to complete the requirements may result in being asked to reimburse ABRCMS for the cost of travel award.

A disposition email will be sent by September 12 regarding the final status of your application

Submit Your Application