The Annual Meeting provides a platform for graduate students to showcase their research, network with other scientists, and attend professional development workshops that help further their careers; however, attending the meeting requires substantial financial resources to cover travel expenses, abstract fees, and registration. While grad student attendance has remained consistent over the past years, a recent Member Survey revealed that 61% of students selected “Can’t afford to go” in response to the question, “What keeps you from attending the SSSA Annual Meeting?” The results indicate that the financial requirements of attending the meeting can create a barrier to attendance and demonstrate a need for financial assistance among graduate student members.
To address this issue, the ACS Graduate Student Committee created a Graduate Student Travel Grant in 2020. This program is the first of its kind because it is organized by graduate students for graduate students. Travel grants will be awarded annually to at least 10 qualified students (up to $750/student) who plan to present research at each Annual Meeting, are unable to attend the Annual Meeting without additional outside financial assistance (not fully supported by the professor, department, or program), and can provide justification outlining how meeting attendance will benefit their careers. These travel grants were awarded to support :
- 2021 Annual Meeting in Salt Lake, UT: 11 grad students
- 2022 Annual Meeting in Baltimore, MD: 10 grad students
- 2023 Annual Meeting in St. Louis, MO: 10 grad students
While awarding students every year, the ACS Graduate Student Committee has been continuously raising donations to transform their Grad Student Travel Grant Pilot Program into a permanent ASF Fund. Since the program was started, the Committee raised funds while still awarding travel grants to students. The Agronomic Science Foundation Board of Trustees agreed to back this effort and provide matching funds of up to $5,000 each year, until 2025. Now, the Graduate Student Committee is closer than ever to reaching their goal of at least $35,000 to permanently fund the Grad Student Travel Grants. We need your help to make this a reality! Please consider donating to this program.
These students will benefit from the mentorship connections, leadership training, and opportunities for collaboration provided by our Societies. In return, the Societies will benefit by facilitating student involvement and fostering connections between graduate students and more senior society members. We believe it is necessary to facilitate graduate student involvement to help grow and support the future of the Societies. Your donation will help us realize this mission - please consider donating today. Every dollar counts!
Donors can also mail a check directed to the Agronomic Science Foundation, with “Grad Student Travel Grant Fund” noted on the memo line. ASF, 5585 Guilford Road, Madison, WI 53711-580
Interested to find out how your contribution can help graduate students? Check out what some of our past recipients said:
“Because of the scholarship, I was able to attend the SSSA conference free of any financial burden. At the conference, I was able to present the research I conducted during my undergrad and my MS research. I competed in the Graduate Student Competitions for both of my presentations and won the 2nd place award for my undergrad research presentation. Additionally, I was able to network with scientists in the field that I admire, which led me to apply to work with said scientists for my PhD. Without the Travel Scholarship, I'm not sure I would have been able to attend and have these truly amazing experiences.” - Ashleigh Montgomery
“Because of the Graduate Student Travel Scholarship and the generous donors who made it possible, I was able to attend the Annual Meeting. This was important to me as it was my last conference before graduating with my master's degree but also the first conference I could attend in person due to COVID. Through this opportunity I was able to present my research, network, learn from other scientists, and attend the Graduate Student Leadership Conference. This was a crucial time for me to attend this conference and I am incredibly grateful that I was able to do so!” - Hanna Noorda Burgin
“The support provided by the Graduate Student Travel Scholarship allowed me to show the results of my dissertation research, introduce myself to the scientific community, and recognize the efforts of the University of Florida Forage Program. Additionally, I could learn about new technologies and the state of the art in agricultural research, while networking and acquiring new research contacts worldwide. I greatly thank the ASA-CSSA-SSSA for this international meeting and for facilitating my participation in it.” - Jaime Garzon Alfonso
“Dear donors, Thank you for your generosity toward the Travel Scholarship to attend ASA-CSA-ASSA annual meeting. With your donations, students like me were able to participate in the conference and share our research with specialists in the field, as well as network and learn with them on how to become better scientists. I am extremely grateful for having had the opportunity to attend the conference in Salt Lake City by being awarded the travel scholarship. This opportunity gave me the encouragement to continue with the research that can advance the scientific community. Knowledge is the only thing that no one can take away from you, and the opportunity of participating in this conference is something that will be always engraved in me. Thank you for being part of my growth as a scientist and my story.” - Marcia Quinby
“ASA-CSSA-SSSA tri-society meeting is an outstanding platform for agricultural/plant science students where they can present their findings to a large intellectual audience while also learning about new research ideas and methodologies. It is also a great platform to interact and extend the networks with peers and mentors coming all over the world. I personally grabbed as many opportunities as I could from the meeting last year. I participated in both oral and poster contests, interacted with peers and built networks, and practiced some of the best communication styles. I also was able to participate in the graduate leadership conference and learn invaluable tips to enhance leadership skills. I also brought Texas A&M the first place award in the Precision Agriculture Poster Competition. All of these were possible only because of the travel scholarship that ACS funded to me. I would like to thank the ACS travel grant committee for helping me attain my goals for the tri-society meeting last year 2021 through this fund. I would also like to congratulate the committee for such a wonderful initiative and I truly hope that it reaches out to as many grad students as possible.” - Bishwa Sapkota
