The Michael Castagna Student Grant for Applied Research is a competitive grant that is awarded annually to recognize a student's excellence in research in the area of shellfisheries with an emphasis on applied research. It is named in honor of one of the Association's most distinguished past Presidents (1976-7), a recipient of the Wallace Award (1983) and an Honored Life Member (1990). The award is a competitive grant program to which NSA student members can apply for a $1250 grant for non-travel related expenses associated with undertaking their Master's thesis or Ph.D. dissertation research. Funding for the program comes from the general NSA revenues and the award is granted once per year. Applications are due November 30th annually. Click here for application information.

Grant Recipients

• Aaron W.E. Galloway (2008) University of Washington, School of Aquatic Fishery Sciences.  Grant proposal title: Culture practices and structure effects of intertidal geoduck aquaculture operations in Puget Sound: an evaluation of influence on mobile macrofauna. 
• Brandon Puckett (2007) North Carolina State University, Center for Marine Sciences and Technology. Grant proposal title: Assessing the efficacy of marine reserves for oyster restoration: theory and application.
• James Reinhardt (2006) University of Connecticut, Department of Marine Sciences. Grant proposal title: The control of biofoulers in shellfish aquaculture: the use of acetic acid and gastropod biocontrols.
• Helene Hegaret (2005) University of Connecticut, Department of Marine Sciences. Grant proposal title: The persistence of cysts and cells of harmful dinoflagellates after ingestion by bivalve mollusks and their transport through transplanting of bivalves.
• Scott Gifford (2004) University of Newcastle, Callaghan NSW, Australia. Grant proposal title: nfluence of pollutants on pearl quality in the Akoya pearl oyster, Pinctada imbricata.
• Megan Stewart (2003) Leigh Marine Laboratory of the University of Auckland, New Zealand. Grant proposal title: The impacts of habitat change on cockle (Austrovenus stutchburyi) populations.
• Lisa Milke (2002, inaugural year) Institute for Marine Biosciences, NRC, Halifax. Grant proposal title: Algal diets and nutritional requirements of early life-history stages of the commercially important sea scallop, Placopecten magellanicus, and bay scallop, Argopecten irradians.