U.S. Alumni Travel Awards

Spring Deadline: April 21, 2017

Introduction

The Amgen Scholars Program seeks to increase research proficiency and to promote professional networking opportunities for program alumni who are committed to scientific careers.

The Amgen Scholars U.S. Alumni Travel Awards provide partial support up to $1,500 for national or international conference expenses, to be paid on one installment of 75% prior to conference attendance, and the remaining 25% after submission of a conference report. Applicants must meet all eligibility requirements and application deadlines to be considered. Funding for these travel awards is available through the generous support of the Amgen Foundation.

Alumni of the U.S. Amgen Scholars Program who meet eligibility parameters are invited to apply.

Eligibility

To be eligible you must be:

○ an alumnus/a of the U.S. Amgen Scholars Program

○ selected to participate in an upcoming research conference; proof of participation is required at the time of application. Students are welcome to apply if acceptance to the conference is pending, but issuance of the award is contingent on eventual proof of acceptance

○ currently enrolled in a graduate program in a STEM field (PhD, MD/PhD or master’s), OR

○ currently enrolled or previously enrolled in an undergraduate degree program and presenting specifically on research conducted while an Amgen Scholar. Please note that these students will be required to submit 1) a finalized abstract from their time during the Amgen Scholars Program, and 2) the abstract submitted to the conference. These students are strongly encouraged to contact the Global Program Office to ensure their research is eligible for presentation.

Selection Criteria

Applicants are chosen on the basis of the following criteria:

○ satisfactory participation in and completion of an Amgen Scholars Program summer research experience

○ unmet financial need related to conference attendance and participation

○ demonstrated academic achievement and excellence based on the transcript, academic CV, and faculty reference letter

○ importance of the research conference to the applicant’s scientific development, academic achievement and professional networking

Note: Priority will be given to first-time applicants. Alumni may apply more than once for the travel award, but alumni may receive the award only one time.

Requirements

○ We encourage applicants also to explore other sources of funding. Applicants are required to report funding from other sources to the Amgen Scholars U.S. Program Office at any time during the application process. The amount of the final award will be determined based on a combination of merit and need. The selection committee reserves the right to withdraw funding from candidates who withhold information.

○ Recipients, once notified, must agree to submit a brief, one-page statement about their conference research experiences within three weeks of the conference date. Upon submission of this statement, the final 25% of the Travel Award amount will be issued to the recipient.

○ Travel Award funds must be used for the purposes outlined in the travel award application and award letter or returned to the Amgen Scholars U.S. Program Office.

Application Checklist

By the application deadline, candidates should submit one copy of the following required materials to the U.S. Amgen Scholars Program Office. Applicants should submit application, budget worksheet, abstract, conference acceptance letter, and CV in this order, as one PDF, and in one email to the Amgen Scholars U.S. Program Office. The applicant’s official transcript may be sent via ground mail or email separately by the university registrar. Finally, the applicant’s faculty recommender should submit both recommendation letter and faculty evaluation form via email. An application will not be considered if any materials are missing.

○ complete application form

○ a budget worksheet outlining total conference expenses minus other funding (use sample worksheet on application form as a guideline)

○ an abstract

○ a conference acceptance letter

○ academic CV

○ an official transcript

○ one reference letter from a faculty member who has served as a recent supervisor of your research

○ one faculty evaluator form attached to the faculty reference letter

Timeline

Mid March	Travel Award announced to Amgen Scholars alumni
April 21	Travel Award applications due to the Amgen Scholars U.S. Program Office
April 28	Travel Award applications forwarded to the funding committee
Early May	Funding committee convenes to select recipients
May 11	Travel Award recipients notified by email
June 1	Deadline for recipients to accept the Travel Award
Late May	75% of award disbursed per recipient
2 Weeks Post-Conference	Award Recipients submit a one-page statement about their conference experiences to the Amgen Scholars U.S. Program Office – following, 25% of Travel Award will be dispersed per recipient

Contact Information

Applicants may direct any inquiries to the Amgen Scholars U.S. Program Office:

Amgen Scholars Program U.S. Alumni Travel Awards

Amgen Scholars U.S. Program Office

MIT, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, 7-104

Cambridge, MA 02139

Phone: 617-253-2620

Email: scpeter@mit.edu

U.S. Alumni Travel Awards

Spring Deadline: April 15, 2016

Application Process: By the application deadline, candidates should submit the application form along with the following materials to scpeter@mit.edu, and transcripts to:

Amgen Scholars Program U.S. Alumni Travel Awards

Amgen Scholars U.S. Program Office

MIT, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, 7-104

Cambridge, MA 02139

Application Checklist:

○ complete application form

○ a budget worksheet outlining total conference expenses minus other funding (use sample worksheet on application form as a guideline)

○ an abstract

○ a conference acceptance letter

○ academic CV

○ an official transcript

○ one reference letter from a faculty member who has served as a recent supervisor of your research

○ one faculty evaluator form attached to the faculty reference letter

Notifications: Selected applicants will be notified by May 9, 2016. Direct all inquiries to: scpeter@mit.edu or (617) 324-8128.

Applicant Full Name (first, middle initial, last):

Gender:

Telephone:	Email:

Current mailing address:

Permanent mailing address:

Amgen Scholars Program Host University:

Year of Participation in Amgen Scholars Program:

Undergraduate Institution:	Graduate Institution:

Current Advisor/Research Mentor Name (title, first, last):

Current Advisor/Research Mentor Email:

Academic major/s or research area/s:

Current Degree Type (please check one): PhD MD/PhD	Master’s Bachelor’s
Current Year Enrolled as Undergraduate or Graduate Student:

For students not currently pursuing a PhD or MD/PhD, describe your post-graduate plans (1-2 sentences):

Cumulative GPA (Current Institution):

Complete Name of Conference:

Link to Conference Website:

Dates of Conference:

Location of Conference:

Conference Registration Deadline:

Conference Decision Deadline (if acceptance not already received):

How will attending this conference benefit your professional career? Is the subject matter central or more peripheral to your thesis/dissertation research? Do you intend to attend this conference again? (Answer in 100 words or less.)

Total Amount Requested (attach budget worksheet, sample included below):

SAMPLE BUDGET WORKSHEET

Total Funding Requested:

Total Funding Received and Source:

Conference Registration:

Accommodations:

Flight:

Meals:

Other Transportation (taxis, shuttles):

Misc. Costs (please specify):

Have you applied for other sources of funding?	Yes	No

If yes, please identify source:

If yes, please identify amount:

If yes, please identify expected notification date:

I attest that all the information provided, to the best of my knowledge, is accurate.

Applicant’s Signature:
Date:

All award recipients should note that there might be a tax liability with the travel award. Please contact a tax advisor.