Student Travel Awards are made possible through the numerous
APS Foundation Named Student Travel Funds and General Student Travel Fund.
40 travel awards will be awarded to eligible APS Student Members to support their attendance to present their research at Plant Health 2025 in Hawaii.
Recipients of a travel award will have their meeting registration fee waived ($569 value). A promo code will be provided to the student to use when
registering for Plant Health 2025.
How to Apply - applications are closed
Student Travel Award Application
The APS Foundation Student Travel Award application is part of the Plant Health 2025
abstract submission process. This is a two step process! You must first submit your abstract and then submit your student travel award application. Review the following eligibility, award requirements, and application components prior to submitting your abstract and application.
Eligibility and Travel Award Requirements
- Applicants must be current APS Student Members. APS membership is required both at time of submission and upon receipt of the travel award to Plant Health 2025.
- Students who received a Student Travel Award in 2024 are NOT eligible to apply for funding again in 2025.
- Applicants are required to submit an abstract and a student travel award application.
- Graduate students who are selected to speak in the 2025 I.E. Melhus Symposium are not eligible for additional funding from the Student Travel Funds.
- Applicants are required to
submit an abstract with the plan to present either a poster or oral at Plant Health 2025.
- Those selected to receive a Student Travel Award are required to be
registered for Plant Health 2025 by the presenter registration deadline of
June 6, 2025. Presenters who fail to register by the deadline will have their abstract withdrawn from the program and will no longer be eligible for a travel award.
Student Travel Award Application Components
After submitting your abstract, you will then submit your travel award application. NOTE you are only eligible to apply for one travel award. Incomplete and multiple applications will not be accepted. Review the following components of the student travel application and how each section will be evaluated prior to submitting your application.
- Abstract Content and Style (30 Points)
- Title clear, interesting, and with broad appeal (0-5 points)
- Clear objective (0-10 points)
- Study placed in context of pathosystem or larger field (0-5 points)
- Well written and engaging style (0-5 pts)
- Clear summation or conclusion (0-5 points)
- Professional Development (500 Word Limit, 20 Points)
- Briefly describe your networking plans to make the most of your time at the meeting
- Community Engagement (500 Word Limit, 10 Points)
- Propose an idea on ways to engage with the general public around plant pathology topics
- Creativity/originality of idea (0-5 pts)
- Feasibility and likelihood of success (0-5pts)
- Curriculum Vitae (20 points)
- Upload a 2 page PDF file of your CV that includes emphasis on the following:
- Clear, attractive format, free of errors (0-5 points)
- Evidence of engagement in APS at any level (0-5 points)
- Membership duration, regional or national meeting attendance, publication in APS journals, committee involvement, etc.
- Evidence of service and volunteerism at department, disciplinary, or institutional level (0-5 points)
- Evidence of productivity and excellence in research, teaching, extension, and/or outreach (0-5 points)
- Advisor's Letter of Support (10 Points)
- Applicants to provide the name and contact for the faculty member submitting a 1 page letter of support on their behalf.
- The designated faculty member will receive an email with a personalized link for them to use when they submit their letter of support by the deadline of March 28, 2025. Student applicants have access to see that a letter of support was submitted to their application, but cannot view the contents of the letter.
- Letter provides a compelling reason to recognize the student with a travel award (0-5 Points)
- Letter provides specificity to support general claims regarding the student (0-5 Points)
Review & Selection Committee
The APS Graduate Student Committee, prior year travel awardees, and representatives from the APS Foundation Board will review applications and select award recipients.
Student Travel Award Notification
Student Travel Award applicants will be notified by APS in May about their application status. Those selected to receive an APS Foundation Student Travel Award will be recognized at Plant Health 2025 and in Phytopathology News.
