Graduate Student Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Travel Award

The Graduate Student Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Travel Award, supported by the ASBMB Maximizing Access Committee, will be awarded competitively to assist graduate students with identities that are underrepresented in the biomedical research workforce who will present their research at #DiscoverBMB.

Award recipients will be reimbursed for qualifying travel expenses up to $1,000. Submission of an application is not a guarantee of funding.

Award requirements and eligibility

• ASBMB graduate student membership: Applicants must be active members in good standing. Renewal payments or new membership applications must be completed with dues paid at least two business days prior to submitting an application. Dues must be paid in full for the dues year January–December 2024.
• An abstract submission, as primary author (first author), by the abstract deadline of 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Nov. 30.
• No more than two awards will be given to a single lab.
• Applicant must be a member of one of the groups underrepresented in the biomedical research workforce, as defined by the National Institutes of Health’s Interest in Diversity Notice:
  • Individuals from racial and ethnic groups that have been shown by the National Science Foundation to be underrepresented in biomedical research (see NSF data):
    • Blacks or African Americans
    • Hispanics or Latinos
    • American Indians or Alaska Natives
    • Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders
  • Individuals with disabilities, who are defined as those with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, as described in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended (see NSF data)
  • Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, defined as those who meet two or more of the following criteria:
    • Were or currently are homeless, as defined by the McKinney–Vento Homeless Assistance Act;
    • Were or currently are in the foster care system, as defined by the Administration for Children and Families;
    • Were eligible for the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program for two or more years;
    • Have/had no parents or legal guardians who completed a bachelor’s degree (see https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2018/2018009.pdf);
    • Were or currently are eligible for Federal Pell grants;
    • Received support from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) as a parent or child;
    • Grew up in one of the following areas: a) a U.S. rural area, as designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer, or b) a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services-designated Low-Income and Health Professional Shortage Areas (qualifying ZIP codes are included in the linked file).

Participation requirements

Award recipients are required to participate fully in the following activities. Failure to participate in the activities listed below will result in forfeiture of the travel award.

• Presentation of submitted abstract during #DiscoverBMB 2024. Abstract-programming notifications will be sent prior to the early-registration deadline stating the date, time and format of scheduled presentation.
• Participation in the Professor Rounds program, a yearlong virtual mentoring program with established scientists in career paths that align with the travel awardee’s interests. Awardees and mentors are required to meet at #DiscoverBMB, have quarterly virtual meetings (July, October and January), and must complete program evaluation surveys.
• Participation in the poster/networking event, sponsored by the Maximizing Access Committee.
• Participation in a travel awardee networking event. Time and date will be included in award notifications.
• Completion of post-conference survey.

Information required for submission of application

• Successfully submitted abstract as primary author (first author).
• Benefit statement (3000 characters max, not including spaces) that outlines your career goals and explains how meeting attendance will benefit your professional development and describes any financial support from your adviser or institution to facilitate your attendance. If there is no financial support available from your adviser or institution, please include this information in your statement.
• Letter of recommendation from your current adviser — letter must be submitted with other documents at the time of application (see guidelines below).

Letter of recommendation guidelines

Applicant — Share the following with your current research adviser well in advance of submitting an application:

A letter of recommendation is required from each applicant's current research adviser and must be uploaded at the time of application submission. Address the letter of support to "The ASBMB Award Review Committee." The letter must be on institution letterhead and include the adviser's signature.

The letter of recommendation should address each of the following:

• How meeting attendance will benefit applicant's professional development.
• Applicant's need for financial assistance to attend annual meeting.
• Scientific merit of applicant's work.