Student Convention Grants
The American Begonia Society (ABS) is pleased to announce that the application process to apply for the 2024 ABS Student Convention Grant is now open. These grants will be awarded on a competitive basis to students interested in or actively studying the plant family Begoniaceae. The grants were established to promote student and future researchers’ participation in ABS and to encourage new research in Begoniaceae. Deadline to submit application is May 28, 2024.
Students who receive the grant will:
- Receive complimentary registration for the 2024 ABS National Convention in Long Beach, CA (August 20 – August 24, 2024).
- Receive an honorarium to cover expenses such as meals and shared-room accommodations.
- Grant recipients will also receive a complimentary digital ABS membership.
- It is expected that each award recipient will prepare and present a 10–12-minute program at the Society’s convention.
- Grant recipients will be notified by email of their award status by June 11, 2024 and will need to prepare, pre-record, and submit their presentations in MP4 format with captions by July 9, 2024.
- If you have any questions about the application or this convention, please send an email message to Grants@begonias.org.
What is the ABS Annual Convention?
The ABS annual convention is for Begonia enthusiasts and researchers alike. It is a social opportunity to come together to learn about an array of Begonia species and cultivars via presentations focusing on recent research, field work, and the culture of begonias. Learn more about the 2023 ABS Convention.
Application Guidelines for 2024 Student Convention Grants
- Applications are due by May 28, 2024.
- Applicants should send the following (with the subject line: Student Convention Grant Application) in an attachment (preferably a single PDF document) to Grants@begonias.org and include:
- Name, institutional affiliation, address, telephone, and email information.
- A 200 to 400 word description of research goals and education.
- A curriculum vitae (CV) not to exceed one US letter-sized page.
- Applications exceeding the specified length for description and CV will not be accepted.
- The title and brief description of the lecture to be pre-recorded for presentation at this year’s convention. For example, “Sophie Cecile” would label her file “Cecile_S_PDF”. Note: please include captions in your slide presentation and record in MP4 format.
- A signed letter of recommendation from the applicant’s major advisor or faculty representative (as a separate document) should be sent to Grants@begonias.org with the applicant’s name in the subject line. For example, “Recommendation Letter for Sophie Cecile Student Convention Grant Application 2024”.
David Esteban Granados Zarate-is a Master’s candidate at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. He was awarded a Student Convention Grant in 2022 and sent in a pre-recorded, mp4 slide show presentation, “Systematics of the Begonia section Lepsia, what we know and what we want to know?” which was presented at the annual ABS Convention in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo credit: Luz Helena Zárate
Maverick Tamayo, a graduate teaching Assistant, Texas Christian University, and Director of Research, Philippine Taxonomic Initiative, Inc.,( PTI) attending one of the lectures at the SWR Get-Together. Later he applied and was awarded a Student Convention Grant to attend the annual ABS Convention in Atlanta, Georgia, where he delivered his presentation “157 and Counting: The Philippine Begoniaceae.”
Photo credit: Stephen Maciejewski
