Journey to Discovery: The Travel Awards Experience at the Life Transformation Conference

Applications for Travel Awards are now closed.

COVID-19 Conduct Guidelines for LDC participants

 

LDC is thrilled to provide travel grants for the 8th Life Discovery – Doing Science Education Conference aimed at higher education faculty. 

To enhance the diversity of attendees and institutions, funding of up to $1,200 is accessible to facilitate educator travel and conference registration for the 2023 Life Discovery – Doing Science Education conference (LDC). Further funding may be obtainable for faculty meeting our priority criteria traveling from beyond the continental US. Please reach out to us.

These travel grants are made available through the support of the National Science Foundation.  

Who is eligible to apply?

We invite applications from educators who belong to 

• community colleges and minority-serving institutions (universities and colleges), tribal colleges and universities
• underrepresented communities in the ecological sciences at any institution of higher education.

All candidates must be associated with US higher education institutions. Further funding may be obtained for faculty who fit our priority criteria traveling from outside the continental US. Please reach out to us. 

Submission deadline:  January 21, 2023, for priority review 

After this date, applications will be reviewed based on the availability of funds. 

Applicants who submit by the deadline can expect notification by the end of January. 

Advantages

• A national community of peers dedicated to inclusive pedagogy in environmental biology classrooms.
• LDC provides keynotes, brief presentations, workshops, and field excursions at the forefront of life sciences focused on integrating cultural relevance and current issues into the classroom
• Unique to LDC: Facilitated networking possibilities and the Education Roundtable Share Fair
• All selected participants from higher education institutions will also be given priority consideration to engage in a subsequent Faculty Mentoring Network in Fall 2023 or Spring 2024 to execute ideas developed during the conference.  See details below.

Details of the Award

• The grant will cover early registration for the conference, accommodations, and flight/mileage up to about $1200 depending on whether a two or three-night stay is necessary.  You will be prompted to indicate how much support you require in the application.
• Conference registration includes lunch on Friday and Saturday and dinner on Friday (3 meals).
• All grant recipients are expected to submit a proposal to present a teaching concept at the Education Share Fair Roundtable session by February 10th. These may represent ideas at any phase of development. This is a chance to obtain constructive feedback from peers in a welcoming, professional, and informal setting.

Priority consideration for this grant will be awarded to:

• Faculty from minority-serving institutions, community colleges, or those from traditionally underrepresented groups in science.
• Faculty applicants who are instructing during the Spring 2023 and/or Fall 2023 semesters.
• Applicants who will present a teaching idea that you have applied or aim to teach at the LDC Education Share Fair
  
• Higher education institution applicants eager to partake in a follow-up Faculty Mentoring Network (FMN)  to carry out ideas developed during the conference in their classroom in Fall 2023 or Spring 2024.

 

Information about the Fall 2023 Faculty Mentoring Network

During the FMN, you will collaborate with a small group of 5-6 educators in bi-weekly Zoom meetings over 7 weeks as you implement ideas gleaned from the conference. Participants will have the opportunity to exchange ideas on effective application and receive additional resources or expertise as required. The FMN will most likely commence in September 2023 and continue through early November. For more details regarding previous FMNs, please visit:

 

Have Questions?

For inquiries about the LDC Travel Awards and the application form, please contact ldc@esa.org