Student research funding and travel support

1. Student research funding and travel support - let’s you pad your CV by listing awards - fund your own research - attend conferences: - present your research, improve communication skills - meet potential future advisors, reviewers, collaborators - learn about what’s current in your field - get support for attending summer courses, doing summer internships, collecting data off campus, etc Check out: http://www.calstatela.edu/academic/aa/gsr/ssp.php

2. Research Support - CSULA The Office of Graduate Studies and Research accepts applications for the Fund to Support Graduate Students in Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities (RSCA) in May of the academic year, for up to $750: www.calstatela.edu/academic/aa/gsr/assets/forms/RSCA-description.pdf Applicants must provide (1) an abstract (200 word limit) summarizing the focus of thesis or culminating project, (2) a budget narrative (approximately 300 words) explaining use of and need for requested funds, and (3) a budget request indicating estimated cost of supplies, equipment, & services. You may fill out the form online, print + submit a typed copy.   Office of Graduate Studies and Research website: http://www.calstatela.edu/academic/aa/gsr/ssp.php  

3. Travel Support - CSULA The Office of Graduate Studies and Research accepts rolling applications for to support conference attendance (TSSP): www.calstatela.edu/academic/aa/gsr/assets/forms/travelsupport-description.pdf Applicants must already have an abstract acceptedfor a presentation to apply for travel funds, which are not guaranteed

4. Sally Cassanova Fellowships CSU pre-doctoral program provides up to $3,000 for: - summer research internship program at a doctoral-granting institution, to receive exposure to research in a chosen field - visits to doctoral-granting institutions to explore opportunities for doctoral study - travel to a national symposium or professional meeting in a student’s chosen field - membership in professional organizations, journal subscriptions - graduate school application and test fees Application due Feb 24 www.calstatela.edu/academic/aa/gsr/assets/forms/predoc-announcement.pdf

5. CSUPERB student travel funds (CSU program in education and research in biotechnology) http://www.calstate.edu/csuperb/grants/student-travel-program/ Proposal Due Date: October 14, 2013 Award Notification: DecemberMaximum Award Amount: $1,500 Program Description CSUPERB Student Travel Grant Program supports CSU student travel to biotechnology-related professional meetings or to collect biotechnology-related research data at specialized shared facilities.  grants support travel over a 12 month window CSUPERB plans to issue another RFP in spring 2014 !! (RFP = request for proposals; the official announcement)

6. CSUPERB faculty-student collaborative research (CSU program in education and research in biotechnology) http://www.calstate.edu/csuperb/grants/student-travel-program/ Proposal Due Date: February 3, 2014 Award Notification: May, 2012Maximum Award Amount: $15,000 Program Description Two programs provide support for (1) new faculty who have not had a major research grant, or (2) established faculty needing to fill gaps in funding for ongoing projects or pilot new, unfunded research directions  provides some salary for the student(s) involved, and research funds for the project

7. COAST summer research funds (Council on ocean affairs, science and technology) http://www.calstate.edu/coast/funding/internal_funding.shtml Proposals for research awards due in October Award Amount: $3,000 Program Description Awards made to CSU students working with COAST faculty members on marine and coastal related research projects. Proposals for student travel now open

8. External student travel funds Meetings are sponsored by one or more professional societies Often, that society will have funds for students to attend meetings that you can find on their website and apply for - may require working a desk at the meeting Many small grants are also available for research travel costs through professional societies in a given field

9. Choosing a Meeting Important things to consider: - scope of conference - size - location: costs of travel - when meeting is held (during classes or summer?) - cost of student registration - abstract required? - abstract due dates (may be 6 months in advance) - reputation for being “student-friendly” or not? - who else is attending - special symposia of interest to you - should you give a poster or a talk?

10. Attending a Meeting My suggestions: 1) scan abstracts ahead of time, to know what talks you might be interested in attending – or what talks someone you’d like to meet would probably be attending 2) don’t miss the deadline to book into the hotel! 3) take notes on all talks you attend. It makes you pay attention and guarantees the most bang for your time 4) Know who you are there to meet, and make it happen. Let other people know who you are hoping to meet; faculty know each other and can arrange introductions.

11. Attending a Meeting My suggestions: 5) decide whether you are going to attend one symposium or jump between talks, and figure out where rooms are in advance so you don’t have to rush 6) don’t get drunk and skip the morning talks 7) don’t get drunk and embarrass your advisor 8) do drink strategically if it’s a chance to get to know a potential collaborator or advisor, but within reasonable limits 9) follow up with key people you met

12. Contacting a prospective advisor Faculty (or employers) are extremely busy people who will only a) read short, concise emails or CVs b) take you seriously if you appear to know what you’re doing An initial email to a prospective advisor should precede your application to a Ph.D. program by several months Also, do your research ahead of time: Does the school you are applying to offer any fellowships for which you are qualified?

13. Contacting a prospective advisor An email to a prospective advisor should contain: 1) your name, status (“2nd yr MS student at CSULA”), and that you are inquiring if Dr. X is taking new students in Fall 2013 2) 1-2 sentences summarizing your research experience - don’t use highly specific jargon or names; all marine scientists don’t know what cypriniid ostracods are - it’s not what you have done that matters, it’s showing that you know how to communicate what you’ve done, and how to write about science

14. Contacting a prospective advisor An email to a prospective advisor should contain: 1) your name, status (“2nd yr MS student at CSULA”), and that you are inquiring if Dr. X is taking new students in Fall 2013 2) 1-2 sentences summarizing your research experience 3) statement of what you are interested in studying for a PhD, and why this program + lab are a good fit for your interests - don’t waste time telling someone their research is really interesting, they know that already - a PhD is all about developing your own ideas, so you need to demonstrate that you know this and have some idea what topic or question you’d like to spend 5 yr on

15. Contacting a prospective advisor An email to a prospective advisor should contain: 1) your name, status (“2nd yr MS student at CSULA”), and that you are inquiring if Dr. X is taking new students in Fall 2013 2) 1-2 sentences summarizing your research experience 3) statement of what you are interested in studying for a PhD, and why this program + lab are a good fit for your interests 4) mention any relevanttechnical skills you have - statistical analyses or modelling you have done - scientific SCUBA dive certified - made a transgenic rat - performed ELISA, western blots, and isolated mRNA

16. Contacting a prospective advisor An email to a prospective advisor should contain: 1) your name, status (“2nd yr MS student at CSULA”), and that you are inquiring if Dr. X is taking new students in Fall 2013 2) 1-2 sentences summarizing your research experience 3) statement of what you are interested in studying for a PhD, and why this program + lab are a good fit for your interests 4) mention any relevant technical skills you have 5) list classes you have taken relevant to the research topic, esp. if they had lab or field components 6) state any conference presentations you have given, and attach an abstract from one talk or poster to the email

17. Contacting a prospective advisor An email to a prospective advisor should contain: 1) your name, status (“2nd yr MS student at CSULA”) 2) 1-2 sentences summarizing your research experience 3) statement of what you are interested in studying for a PhD, and why this program + lab are a good fit for your interests 4) mention any relevant technical skills you have 5) list classes you have taken relevant to the research topic, esp. if they had lab or field components 6) state any conference presentations you have given, and attach an abstract from one talk or poster to the email 7) state that you will be applying for any appropriate fellowships 8) attach a current CV

18. Keeping a lab notebook - ask your advisor what style of notebook he/she prefers - date every entry - write down EVERYTHING, whether it seems relevant or not - trouble-shooting problems is only as easy as you make it - easier to write it down now, than to try to remember 5 years from now what exactly you did - do NOT write things on stray pieces of paper; if you do, these need to get taped permanently into the notebook - print-outs can be inserted or attached to the notebook

19. Keeping a lab notebook - avoid using “template” sheets if this means you get lazy, and don’t make separate annotations of what you’re doing - put an index of major experiments in the front, so later students and your advisor can easily find entries after you are gone - your notebook belongs to your lab; it doesn’t leave with you. Keep it updated, organized, and clear so that anyone who comes after can use it to figure out exactly what you did - patent lawsuits, scientific fraud and misconduct hearings come down to lab notebooks, which are incredibly serious big deals - open e-notebooks: what do you think?

20. Research Ethics Scientific ethical conduct and ethical implications of scientific issues in society are important.