Student Grants and Awards

Nationwide | Statewide | University of Florida Students

Available Nationwide

Drs. Emily H. and Harold E. Vokes Grants-in-Aid for Invertebrate Paleontology Collection-based Research

Each year, the Invertebrate Paleontology Division at the Florida Museum of Natural History offers one or two grants of up to $500 to advanced undergraduate or graduate students who wish to use our collections for paleobiological research.  Awards may only be used for transportation and living expenses while visiting the museum.

Proposals must include a one-page description of your planned research and include anticipated time of arrival, length of visit, and budget.  Furthermore, a letter of support from a faculty advisor must be provided.  Proposals are due 1 July each year with notification of successful candidates by 15 July.

Successful candidates are expected to complete their visit within one year and are required to acknowledge the Vokes Grants-in-Aid Program in any publication related to research conducted while at the Florida Museum of Natural History.

For further information please contact: Roger W. Portell at portell@flmnh.ufl.edu

Proposals are to be sent to:
Roger W. Portell
Vokes Grants-in-Aid
Florida Museum of Natural History
P.O. Box 117800
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida  32611-7800

Available Statewide

The Florida Paleontological Society's Gary S. Morgan Student Research Award

12th ANNUAL COMPETITION

Prospectus and General Overview
The Florida Paleontological Society (FPS) is pleased to announce the 12th annual competition for its student research award.  The purpose of this award is to promote a better understanding of Florida paleontology through new research discoveries.  Eligible fields of relevance within paleontology include invertebrates, vertebrates, microfossils, and plants.  This award is open to any student, undergraduate or graduate, in good standing at any Florida University or College.

For this 12th competition, the FPS has allocated an award of up to $500.  The grant's purpose is for expenditures such as (but not restricted to) field work, museum research travel, laboratory analyses, research materials, etc.  It is not intended to fund travel to scientific meetings, indirect (overhead) costs, salaries, or wages.  Deadline for receipt of proposals is 1 December 2007.

Applications must be postmarked on or before the deadline and be sent to the Awards Chairman at the address listed below.  Applications will be reviewed by committee and judged based on the following criteria:  (1) merit of proposed research, (2) feasibility of project, (3) clarity of expression, and (4) strength of recommendation letter from faculty sponsor.  The screening/award committee shall consist of both professional and avocational paleontologists.  The Awardee will be notified after 15 December 2007 and the FPS Treasurer will send a check for the requested amount (up to $500) to the recipient.

It is expected that, during or after completion of the research, the recipient(s) will present results of their discoveries in the form of (1) a short article of a non-technical nature to be published in the FPS Newsletter and/or (2) a talk presented at an FPS meeting.  In the event of the latter, the student's travel expenses to the meeting shall be paid by the FPS (this expense should not be included in the submitted proposal).

Application Process and Requirements:
The application is intended to be short - thus, items 1-4 (combined) are limited to two pages (minimum 10 point type, standard 1" margins).  The application must include :
1. Title of research project
2. Name, address, and phone number of applicant
3. Current college status (where enrolled, major, degree program, anticipated graduation date).
4. Project description written in general, i.e., to the extent possible, non-technical, terms to include a description of what he/she plans to study, why it is interesting or important, how and when it will be done, and a budget of proposed expenditures.
5. Appended to the proposal, a letter from a faculty sponsor who will vouch for the qualifications of the applicant (as well as the importance of the project) and a short statement that the faculty member will supervise the research.

Applications should be sent to:
Roger W. Portell, FPS Chairman
Florida Museum of Natural History
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL  32611-2035

Available to University of Florida Students

R. Jerry Britt, Jr. Paleobiology Scholarship, Florida Museum of Natural History

Background:
UF alumnus Dr. Robert Jerry Britt, Jr. was a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow in the Department of Geosciences and an outstanding young scientist working at the Florida Museum of Natural History in the field of paleobiology.  He was recipient of the first Florida Museum Associates Dissertation Research Fellowship.  Jerry died in 1987 at the age of 24 while engaged in fieldwork for his dissertation.  He was awarded a posthumous Ph.D. from UF in 1988.

The Britt Endowment was established by Jerry's parents, friends and colleagues to provide funds for an annual award in his honor.  The Britt Award has been presented each year since 1988 to an outstanding UF student (undergraduate or graduate) working on paleobiological research in the Florida Museum of Natural History.  A committee of museum faculty and staff select the winner from the applications that are received each year.  The winner is recognized on a perpetual plaque that hangs in the museum and receives a financial award used to reimburse research expenses.

Criteria:
Advanced undergraduate or graduate students currently enrolled at UF who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement and who are conducting paleobiologic research (especially field studies) in association with the Florida Museum of Natural History.

How to Apply:
Applications consist of three parts: 1) letter of application, including description of research topic, scientific significance, research plan, progress to date, and budget (including proposed use of Britt Award funds); 2) curriculum vitae, including undergraduate and graduate GPA; and 3) letter of recommendation from research supervisor.

Additional information can be obtained by contacting Roger W. Portell at portell@flmnh.ufl.edu.

Candidates should submit applications to:
Roger W. Portell
R. Jerry Britt, Jr. Paleobiology Award
Florida Museum of Natural History
P.O. Box 117800
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida  32611-7800

Application deadline for receipt of proposals is 1 October 2007. The successful candidate will be notified by 1 November 2007.