Application Details for the Student Research Grants

The National Shellfisheries Association has now instituted two student research grants, the Melbourne R. Carriker Student Research Grant and the Michael Castagna Student Grant for Applied Research.  Each grant is for $1250 (effective 4/6/2008).

The Melbourne R. Carriker Student Research Grant
This is a competitive grant that is awarded annually to recognize a student’s excellence in any research in the area of shellfisheries.

The Michael Castagna Student Grant for Applied Research
This is a competitive grant that is awarded annually to recognize a student’s excellence in applied research in the area of shellfisheries. The practical, applied aspects of the research should be highlighted.

Students applying for the Michael Castagna Student Grant for Applied Research may also apply for the Melbourne R. Carriker Student Research Grant, but must submit separate applications and designate which applications correspond to which grant. Use of the same application for both awards will not be accepted.

General Rules:

Applications will be reviewed by the NSA Awards Committee, which is a standing committee chaired by the Past-President. The deadline for proposal applications is November 30 annually. Notification of the successful applicant is generally made by January 31 of the following year.

The applicant must be a student member in good standing of the National Shellfisheries Association and currently enrolled as a Master’s or Ph.D. student in a recognized degree granting institution anywhere in the world. Students who have previously been awarded a Student Research Grant are not eligible to apply for that grant again. Grants will be made in the form of a check made personally payable to the recipient and no institutional overhead can be charged on these funds. The $1,250 is designed to allow a student to purchase supplies and equipment essential to performance of their research. It is neither intended to allow purchase of general items, such as computers, nor to fund travel expenses associated with attending professional meetings. Students seeking travel support to attend NSA meetings should apply separately for money made available through the NSA Student Awards Committee (click here for NSA Travel Awards). It is expected that students who are recipients of the Student Research Grant will present results of their research at one of the annual NSA meetings and write a synopsis of their research findings for the NSA Quarterly Newsletter.

IMPORTANT: STUDENTS MAY NOT SUBMIT THE SAME APPLICATION TO EACH AWARD. THE AWARDS SUPPORT DIFFERENT TYPES OF RESEARCH. HENCE, DUPLICATE APPLICATIONS MAY NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR EITHER AWARD. EACH APPLICATION MUST CLEARLY INDICATE WHY IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR SUPPORT FROM THAT PARTICULAR AWARD.

A completed application will consist of the following five components (total of 6 pages maximum):

1. Cover sheet with the applicant’s name, professional address, phone number, email address, thesis title, degree being sought (Master’s or Ph.D.), date they entered the graduate program, and anticipated graduation date.
2. Text (2 pages): This will consist of a maximum of two pages single-spaced 12-pt font plus one page for figures (if needed). This should include an introduction to the research problem being addressed and the objectives and hypotheses being tested. There should be a clear statement of how the funds being requested will further the student’s research. The literature cited section is not included in this page limit.
3. Budget (1 page): Briefly itemize how the $1,250 being requested will be spent (e.g., $150 for shellfish cages and aquarium supplies, $200 for histology supplies, $120 disposable pippette tips, $500 for DNA extraction and PCR reagents, etc.).
4. Resume (1 page): List educational background, awards/honors, presentations at meetings, and any publications.
5. Letter of endorsement (1 page): The student’s major advisor must provide a succinct letter of support commenting on the student’s research and confirming that the funds are necessary.

Completed applications should be converted into a single pdf document and submitted as an e-mail attachment to Dr. David Bushek, NSA Past-President at bushek@hsrl.rutgers.edu.

Contact Dr. Bushek if you have any questions:

DEADLINE: close of the business day on November 30 each year or the first business day thereafter if November 30 falls on a weekend or holiday. No late applications will be considered.