Fall 2009 Student Travel Grants: Proposal Guidelines
Carefully read the Fall 2009 program description and review criteria in the
RFP (.pdf) as you complete your application.
Submit proposals using only the Proposal Template (.doc). Use the following format for all of the text entries:
- Single-spaced type
- 11 point Arial or 12 point Times New Roman font
- 0.75-inch margins
- Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF.
Proposals not following the required format will not be accepted.
The completed application should be mailed as hard copy (postmarked on or before October 5, 2009) and will include: (1) the Cover Page, with all required signatures, (2) the completed proposal template document, and (3) a signed letter of recommendation from your faculty mentor. Complete proposals should be submitted following the directions on the Proposal Submission Page.
Cover Page
Principal Investigators (PIs) who are CSU students can apply for this program. CSUPERB will consider only one proposal per applicant to this grant program.
Student Travel Award applicants must be sponsored by a CSU faculty advisor/mentor. You must discuss this application with your faculty mentor and get his/her support. With your signature on the cover page, you are certifying that you have notified your advisor.
Be careful to enter contact information accurately; CSUPERB will communicate with you and your advisor/mentor about the status of your proposal by email only this fall.
Include the unsigned Cover Page with your electronic proposal submission.
Details of Meeting /Workshop /Facility /Site
Provide the full name of the meeting, conference, workshop or facility/site you're planning to attend, don't use abbreviations or initials. Provide the start and end date of travel. Make sure that your travel is between July 1, 2009 and June 30, 2010. Include the city, state and country (if not in the US) in the location
Purpose of Travel
Select (Yes or No) the purpose of travel that fits your proposal.
Relationship of Meeting / Workshop /Data Collection to Biotechnology
Use this section to justify how your travel request is related to biotechnology. CSUPERB welcomes and encourages applications from CSU students studying in all disciplines related to the current practice of biotechnology (see Biotechnology Industry Facts), including but not limited to life sciences, physical sciences, clinical sciences, math, computer science, agricultural science, engineering, and/or business.
Abstract and/or Project Description
Use this section to describe your presentation. If you are presenting at a meeting or workshop, provide submitted or accepted abstract. To facilitate review of your application, make sure to include title, list of authors, introductory information, and clear explanation of innovation, hypothesis or research question, methodology, results, and conclusion. If your submitted or accepted abstract does not include all this information, add a second paragraph containing the information. If you are not presenting results at the meeting/workshop, describe the usefulness of attending in the context of your own research program, educational program, and/or career advancement. If your travel is to collect biotechnology related data at specialized shared facilities or sites, discuss the original research aims that will be supported by data collection. This abstract/project description may be posted on the CSUPERB website only if project is funded. Do not include proprietary information. Limit 2/3 page.
Student Essay Describing Relevance of Travel to Research/Educational Plans and Contribution to the Project
Use this section to explain how the proposed travel is relevant to advancing your educational and/or research goals. In addition, use this section to describe how your contribution to the work being presented is or collected will be significant. Estimate and justify what percent of the total project work you did or will do, and how it was substantial and/or important. At the end of your essay, list the name(s) of your co-author(s) who are also applying for a CSUPERB travel grant in this round. Limit 1 page.
Budget and Justification
See Budget Guidelines for instructions and details.
Past Travel Support from CSUPERB
List past CSUPERB Travel Grant funding. Do not include travel reimbursements related to the annual symposium. Limit 1/2 page.
Faculty Advisor/Mentor Letter of Recommendation
Applicants must be sponsored by CSU Faculty member. You must include a signed CSU Faculty Advisor/Mentor letter of recommendation with your application package. As a result you will need to coordinate the submittal of that letter with your mentor by the proposal deadline!
The letter should focus on describing student characteristics, potential and his/her role in research presented or project planned. The review criteria include the significance of the student's contribution to the work being presented or data collection. Consequently, mentors should comment in their letter about the student's role in accomplishing the work, especially compared to other applicants from the same laboratory or class. The review panel will also be interested in learning why the travel proposed is important for the student's career.
Contact Information
For questions related to this grant program, please contact either
Rajni Garg
Director, Grants and Awards
(619) 594-1877
Susan Baxter
CSUPERB Executive Director
(619) 594-2510
For questions related to proposal submission, please contact
Eric Nedelman
Administrative Specialist, CSUPERB
(619) 594-1203
For questions related to travel reimbursement, please contact
James Schmitt
Budget Analyst, CSUPERB
(619) 594-5299