Frank L. Howard Undergraduate Fellowship

An Undergraduate Research Fellowship has been established by friends and colleagues of Dr. Frank L. Howard with the assistance of the American Phytopathological Society (APS) Foundation. The award was established to encourage the involvement of undergraduate students in plant pathology research and to encourage students to pursue advanced degrees and careers in plant pathology. The fellowship will be awarded for the Summer 2009 or academic school term in 2009-2010. Undergraduate students are encouraged to apply immediately. Click here for the Frank L. Howard Undergraduate Fellowship Application.

Award

One award of $1,000 will be made for support of undergraduate research to be conducted over a minimum of one summer or school term during the 2009-2010 academic year. The funds may be used for stipend (3 months) and research budget expenses. Awards will be made to the cooperating laboratory or department in the student’s name for their use as allocated in the budget. Funds may be placed in Foundation accounts if deemed more efficient by the student’s institution.

Applicant

The applicant must be enrolled as a full-time, degree-seeking student. Students are not required to be in a plant pathology major, but they should be in a related field or area of biological sciences. 

Application

Applicants must complete the PDF application and provide the following:

• A research proposal, written by the student, (maximum 3 pages) that includes objectives, experimental approach, discussion, and budget details. Expected results and their potential significance to plant pathology should be included. 
• A cover letter, written by the student, describing their general academic and career goals. 
• A copy of the applicant’s academic transcript (unofficial copy is acceptable)
• Faculty Sponsor letter (see below)

Faculty Sponsor/Mentor

The faculty sponsor must be a member of APS and have an ongoing research program. The faculty sponsor should review the research proposal with special attention to the budget and the distribution of funds. In addition, the sponsor must provide a letter of reference stating his/her willingness to supervise the project and to provide resources above those requested in the proposal. The sponsor or student should present results from the research at a regional or national APS meeting.

Selection Criteria

Competitive students must demonstrate:

• excellent academic background,
• a strong motivation and interest in research,
• good preparation for conduct of research,
• research program with potential scientific merit,
• research program appropriate for the time frame and undergraduate level of expertise, and
• appropriate facilities for the proposed work.

Preference will be given to proposals in which:

• the student has a desire to pursue research related to plant pathology, and
• there is a financial commitment to the research by the mentor and sponsoring institution.

The research should have the potential to contribute to the mentor’s ongoing research program.

Deadline: Receipt of materials by January 23, 2009

How to Apply

Six copies of the completed application, proposal materials, academic transcripts, cover letter and faculty letter of support should be forwarded to:  

David Shew
NC State University
Department of Plant Pathology
3141 Ligon St., Unit 4
Campus Box 7903
Raleigh, NC 27695
Phone +1.919.515.6811
Fax +1.919.513.1279
email: david_shew@ncsu.edu

Selection will be made by a committee composed of members of the APS Teaching Committee and an APS Foundation representative. 

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The American Phytopathological Society