ASU SoLS: RTI - Office

The SOLS Research and Training Initiatives committee is pleased to announce the availability of funding to support an annual scientific workshop / conference to be initiated and organized by SOLS graduate students and/or postdoctoral fellows. It is expected that this “Frontiers in Life Sciences” (FiLS) will highlight cutting-edge issues and discoveries in the life sciences. A single award of up to $30,000 will be made each year on a competitive basis. In general, proposals should originate from consortia of SoLS graduate students and/or postdoctoral fellows involved in interdisciplinary life sciences research. This effort is aimed primarily at graduate students and postdoctoral fellows; however, proposals that involve undergraduate students in meeting activities are also appropriate.

With FiLS we hope to encourage increased involvement and cohesion within SoLS research and graduate training programs and, in doing so, provide direct and useful support to SoLS graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. We also wish to call attention to the excellent life science research going on in SOLS, publicizing our work both within and beyond ASU. We also hope to improve our success in attracting the very best candidates to pursue graduate studies and accept postdoctoral appointments in SoLS. Finally, we want to have some fun, both intellectual and otherwise. work both within and beyond ASU. We also hope to improve our success in attracting the very best candidates to pursue graduate studies studies and accept postdoctoral appointments in SoLS. Finally, we want to have some fun, both intellectual and otherwise.

The FiLS competition will begin with a review of pre-proposals. The format and content of the one-page pre-proposal are described below. These pre-proposals are due by 5 PM on 1 st of November and will be reviewed by the RTI committee within one week of this deadline. Criteria for evaluation of pre-proposals will be:

Initiators of successful pre-proposals will be invited to submit full proposals; the format and content of the four-page full proposal are described below. Full proposals will be due by 5 PM the 1st of December. The primary criteria for selection of the successful proposal will be:

Proposals should be submitted as pdf files via e-mail to Peggy Coulombe Margaret.Coulombe@asu.edu.

The nature of the proposed events will be left to the imagination of the meeting organizers, but some general guidelines and expectations include the following:

Length: One page (11-pt minimum font)
Contents:
- iGELS or other interdisciplinary group(s) initiating the proposal
- Organizers (identify the key graduate student and/or postdoctoral players involved, along with faculty who will be playing an advisory role)
- Title
- Description of the proposed meeting

Length: four pages maximum (11-pt minimum font)
- Contents:
- iGELS or other interdisciplinary group(s) initiating the proposal
- Organizers (identify the key graduate student and/or postdoctoral player(s) involved, along with faculty who will be playing an advisory role)
- Title
- Description of the proposed meeting (emphasizing key themes and meeting organizational scheme but also including details about duration, timing, location, number of participants, invited speakers, off-campus target audiences, marketing/advertising, outlets for publications, special events, public events, etc.)
- Budget (including estimates of meeting venue costs, food/drink, travel and honoraria for invited speakers, travel and other costs for non-ASU participants, research assistantship for student or financial support for postdoctoral organizers (up to $13,500 can be requested)). In the case of a student organizer who graduates before the workshop takes place, funds can be budgeted so that the student can return to finalize last-minute arrangements and attend the event. Budget maximum: $30,000. Include a written justification describing the budget plan.

In addition to the four pages, supplementary materials (such as evidence of commitment from invited speakers, on-campus participants, and/or publication outlets) can be appended.