We are pleased to announce the PLANTS program funded by the National Science Foundation and Botanical Society of America to bring talented and diverse undergraduates to the BOTANY 2016 meeting on July 29 - Aug 3, 2016 in Savannah, Georgia.
Why PLANTS? The PLANTS program (Preparing Leaders and Nurturing Tomorrow’s Scientists: Increasing the diversity of plant scientists) will fund up to 12 undergraduates from throughout the US and Puerto Rico to attend the meeting, receive mentoring from graduate students, postdocs and faculty, attend scientific sessions, and participate in networking events including the Diversity Luncheon and career-oriented activities. The program covers the normal costs of travel, registration, and food and accommodation at the meeting. An overview of the scientific conference is available at: www.botanyconference.org Why BOTANY 2016? The annual Botany Conference is a meeting of several scientific societies serving over 7,000 plant scientists and students whose research and practice span the globe. The conference encompasses the diverse scope of botanical study, including areas such as systematics, ecology, evolution, physiology, genetics, development, paleobotany, and economic botany. Workshops cover topics as diverse as genomics, conservation assessments, teaching science, applying to grad school, and unconventional science and technology careers. APPLICATIONS: Applications are accepted through MARCH 15, 2016 at http://www.botany.org/Awards/F_PLANTS.php. Applications include completion of the online form providing your statement of interest, a letter of recommendation, and unofficial transcripts. Applications are welcome from all undergraduates who have an interest in the plant sciences; the admissions goal is to create a diverse pool of students. The application form is located online at http://www.botany.org/Awards/F_PLANTS.php. We encourage you to review the online form thoroughly before filling it out. Please have letters of recommendation and unofficial transcripts sent directly to Heather Cacanindin at hcacanin...@botany.org. Students must be able to attend the entire Botanical Society of America meetings in Savannah, July 30- Aug 3, 2016. Applicants must be domestic undergraduate students registered or very recently graduated (i.e., within the last 12 months). Students demonstrating a need for funds to attend BSA will be given preference, and will be selected so that as a group, they will help to diversify the pool of undergraduates attending the meetings. More information is available from Ann Sakai (aksa...@uci.edu), Anna Monfils (monfi...@cmich.edu), or Heather Cacanindin (hcacanin...@botany.org).