Cordilleran Section Grants

Student Travel Grants

The Cordilleran Section of the Geological Society of America is pleased to offer student travel support to the annual Section meeting (CDGSA) as well as GSA Connects for students who are presenting their research. Individual award amounts typically range from $300 to $700, depending on the number of students applying, funds available that year, and travel distance to the meeting.

Eligibility Requirements

1. Be a current student member of the GSA Cordilleran Section.
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2. Be both the first author and the presenter of the paper or poster.
3. Register for the meeting before submitting a travel grant application.
4. Submit an application through the online Travel Grant Application Form.
   The form is available on the Students & ECPs page of the Section Meeting website or Connects website during the early registration period only.

Application Guidelines

Applications require active GSA Section membership and the following information: your first and last name, email address, mailing address, phone number, abstract title and ID, primary and secondary authors, institution, and confirmation of whether you are presenting. Please note that students may receive only one Section travel grant per meeting.

• To update your Section affiliation, log into your GSA profile.
• To add an additional complimentary Section affiliation, please contact gsaservice@geosociety.org.

Application Status Notification

Student travel grant decisions will be communicated through email before the meeting registration cancellation deadline. If your attendance depends on receiving a travel grant and you are not selected, you will be eligible for a full registration refund. 

For further information, please contact:
Joshua Schwartz, Secretary, CDGSA
joshua.schwartz@csun.edu

Undergraduate Student Research Grant

Policies & Award

Students and applications must meet the following criteria:

1. This award is open to undergraduate Earth Science students who are currently enrolled in a B.S. or B.A degree program.
2. Priority will be given to projects that involve the Cordilleran Section region (see boundaries).
3. The student must be a student member of the Cordilleran Section of GSA.
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4. The online application must be completed during the application period 15 January through 10 April. Funding decisions will be announced after 15 May with funds being mailed to successful applicants by 15 June.
5. Funded students are expected to expend the funds as stated in the proposal; return any unexpended funds to the Section Secretary; submit a summary report.  The final report will be a maximum of 500 words and should explain how the GSA Cordilleran Section funds were used to successfully conduct the project. List any presentations or publications resulting from the funded research.  Please email the final report to the Cordilleran Section Undergraduate Research Grant Coordinator by March of the year following funding.
6. Students who have received an award are strongly encouraged to present their results at a GSA Cordilleran Section meeting.

The student should expect funding up to $1,000.

The award may not be used to pay salary, buy personal software, or attend a professional meeting such as GSA. Appropriate use of funds includes purchasing field or lab supplies, paying for expenses related to field work, paying for sample analyses, etc. Priority will be given to students who have not previously received an undergraduate research grant for the GSA Cordilleran Section.

The proposal should follow this sequence:

1. Complete the online application.
   (Download sample application/worksheet).
2. Description of Proposed Research.
   Present a brief (maximum of 2 pages, including figures) description of the proposed project, including research question(s) to be addressed, methods, analyses, and schedule for proposed activities. Applicants must use 12-point font (Arial, Times New Roman) with 1-inch margins at the top and bottom, and pages numbered consecutively. A list of references should be provided and will not count toward the 2-page limit. The budget and budget justification do not count toward the 2-page limit. Upload to the online application in the Project Upload area (PDF or Word only).
3. Itemized budget.
   Provide an itemized budget using the format listed below.
   

   Budget Category	$ Requested	$ Other Source	Total Budget
   Research-related Travel
   Lodging
   Meals
   Transportation/mileage
   Supplies & Equipment
   Other (please specify)
   Total Project Budget

4. Budget Justification.
   Provide a detailed budget justification. Include rationale for proposed costs. Upload the budget and budget justification to the online application in the “Budget Upload” area (PDF or Word only).
5. Your project supervisor will be contacted requesting they complete an appraisal form in the online application system. Please make sure your supervisor is aware that they must do this in order for your proposal to be considered.

Questions should be directed to the Cordilleran Section Undergraduate Research Grant Coordinator: jbchapmanv@utep.edu