2024 WIS SciComm Scholarships - Request for Applications (RFA)

Looking to build your SciComm skills and grow your professional networks? WIS is offering scholarships to attend the Association of Science Communicators SCIENCE TALK ‘24 conference in Portland. Apply now!

Application deadline: Wednesday, March 13, 2024, 11:59 PM Pacific
Who can apply: Science trainees (i.e., those not professionally engaged in science communications) of any historically marginalized gender in the Portland metro area
What the scholarship covers: One (1) Trainee registration ticket for ASC’s SCIENCE TALK ‘24 conference
Conference dates: April 11–12, 2024
Conference in-person location: The Tiffany Center in Portland, OR
More conference information can be found here:
https://www.associationofsciencecommunicators.org/conferences/science-talk-24/

Who can apply?

• Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Applicants must identify as a historically marginalized gender. This includes cisgender women, transgender women, transgender men, non-binary individuals, and all gender identities which have been systematically oppressed by those in power throughout history.

• Applicants must live or work within the Portland metropolitan area.
  Applicants must NOT be professionally engaged in science communications full-time (e.g., scientific writer or illustrator). This scholarship is geared towards undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs, and other trainees in science.

  What does this scholarship cover?

  This scholarship covers the cost of one (1) SCIENCE TALK ‘24 registration ticket. Registration rates vary by access level (in-person or virtual-only) and ASC membership status. Please see the SCIENCE TALK '24 website for more information on registration options: https://www.associationofsciencecommunicators.org/conferences/science-talk-24/

  
  How many scholarships will be awarded?

  WIS aims to award around $500 total in scholarships. The number of scholarships awarded will depend on the registration levels requested by awardees (see above).
  

  How will this scholarship be awarded?

  Scholarship funds will be awarded after the SCIENCE TALK ‘24 conference in the form of reimbursement by Venmo, PayPal, or mailed check.

  
  What are the application components?

  
  Applicants will be asked to provide the following:

• Name and email address

• Demographic information

• Statement of benefit to applicant and community (500 words or less) – Please describe the following in up to 500 words: (1) your professional and/or educational goals and how attending this conference will help you achieve them; (2) how you will share or implement what you learn from this conference to positively impact your community.

• Other funding sources – Please list other sources of funding available to you for professional development (e.g., fellowships with conference funds, funds from mentor/department/institute, other travel awards), and indicate whether you would be able to attend SCIENCE TALK without a WIS scholarship.

• Optional statement of barriers to professional development (300 words or less) – WIS is committed to equity in STEM and seeks to support individuals belonging to groups excluded from STEM due to race/ethnicity, gender identity, disability, socioeconomic status, housing status, and/or other factors. If you are comfortable describing such barriers to your professional development, you may do so here.

  
  When and how will my application be assessed?

  
  WIS aims to notify applicants of their award status within two weeks of the application deadline to allow awardees time to register for the conference. Applications will be reviewed by a committee of WIS volunteers using a standardized rubric. The following categories will be scored:

• clarity of proposal

• impact

• need
  

  For any questions, please contact us at scholarships@womeninsciencepdx.org. We look forward to your submissions!