Application Details
Eligibility: Applicant is required to be a registered member of HSO. Applicants must also spend at least 40% of their time (2 full days/week) at HMSC or have significant involvement in HSO/HMSC community detailed in their application letter.
Amount: The amount to be awarded is up to $400, paid as a reimbursement, with appropriate receipts after the travel has taken place. We cannot provide funding in advance of travel. If available funds and applicant rank permit, successful applicants may be awarded up to a maximum of $800. The number of travel awards available each term is contingent on available funds and decided at the start of each award cycle by the HSO Treasurer and President(s). The exception to this is the winter cycle, which is sponsored by the Director's Office. In the winter cycle, there will be three $400 awards available. Funds can be used to cover transportation, lodging, registration/abstract fees, and per diem expenses.
Criteria: The primary criteria for evaluating applications are service to the HSO/HMSC, travel impact and financial need.
Application materials: Application letter, detailed budget and justification, and abstract (or description of the event, see below). Please submit it as one document.
Apply to: Email completed application packages to the HSO President, [email protected]. Applications will be evaluated by an adjudication committee of HSO members representing multiple academic departments.
Closing dates: Fall - November 15, 5 p.m. PST; Winter - February 15, 5 p.m. PST; Spring - May 15, 5 p.m. PST.
Requirements: Funds must be used within six months of the award (this includes six months before and after the award notification date). Award recipients are also required to submit a picture and a short description of how their funds were used to the current HSO website liaison, Charlene Perez Santos. Award winners will also be required to present a 3-5 minute lightning talk at the next HSO meeting following their award term, discussing their research and how the HSO funds were used.
Award Rubric
This rubric was created to standardize how we determine which applicants are given awards. Applicants are scored on the following criteria:
HSO Service (5 points):
Past service needs to be indicated on the application, adjudicators' personal knowledge of the applicant is not acceptable for scoring. Only service to HSO or the HMSC community will be considered for scoring.
5 = >1 year strong service to HSO through exec position, leading a major committee (i.e. doughnuts, holiday party, endowment, HMSC liaison), or involvement throughout the year.
4 = < 1 year strong service to HSO through exec position, leading a major committee, or involvement throughout the year.
3 = Infrequent participation in HSO service, but has been involved in a bigger service opportunity (i.e., holiday party donation, judge travel awards, organizing an event, liaison to faculty).
2 = Attends most or some HSO meetings and participated in a few small service opportunities (i.e., selling t-shirts).
1 = Attends some HSO meetings, no other service.
0 = HSO service not listed. No service to HSO/no meeting attendance.
Travel Impact (3 points):
Applicants traveling to present research: Please submit an abstract.
Applicants traveling to a workshop or another event: Please submit 1-2 paragraphs describing student contribution to the funded event and/or the potential for the event to impact the student’s research or professional career.
3 = Participant helped organize a conference or a workshop/session of the conference or is an invited speaker.
2 = Participant is giving an oral or poster presentation.
1 = Attending a conference/workshop but not presenting research.
0 = No materials/abstract submitted.
Financial Need (3 points + 1 bonus point):
Applicants should submit a budget for their travel (i.e., transportation, lodging, conference registration, per diem) and detail other funding sources. 1 additional point is awarded if applicants are volunteering or otherwise reducing their costs (i.e., economy lodging, carpooling, room-sharing). Please describe volunteering or cost reduction efforts in the application letter.
3 = No additional funding
2 = <50% funded
1 = >50% funded, travel award will help research grants save money
0 = Budget missing from application materials
Application completeness (3 points):
Applicants are given a point (3 total) for each of these items included in the application.
- Student’s name, contact information, degree sought, affiliation with HMSC if applying for a short or long-distance travel award,
- Brief statement of service to HSO and/or the HMSC community.
- Conference/meeting info: Conference/travel name, location, start/end dates if giving full or abbreviated talk or poster presentation. HSO travel awards received during the previous two calendar years.
Previous HSO travel awards:
0 if they have not or have received a previous HSO travel award in the last two years.
-1 for each previous travel award received.