NZMSS Student Research Grant - Due 1 April 2008

The student research grant programme was inaugerated by the members of the society at our annual general meeting in 2006 to help graduate researchers take their work further than academic funding often allows and provide exposure for their research. The current award celebrates the International Polar Year (2007-2009), but applications from a broad range of marine disciplines are encouraged. Recipients will present the results of their work at a plenary session during our annual conference.

Year Awarded	Recipient	Title / Presentation Venue
2007	Phil Ross	Will be presented at the NZMSS / AMSA* conference at Canterbury Univerisity, Christchurch July 2008

* Australian Marine Sciences Association

Application

Applications are accepted as funds allow, typically at least one award will be made annually. Application details are provided here.

Each application should be submitted as two electronic documents (Microsoft Word .doc or Adobe's .pdf) submitted as word-processed (typed) attachments to email addressed to:

Mark Costello: m.costello@auckland.ac.nz

Part I is the scientific proposal. It should be

anonymous and not provide information to identify the applicants or their institution
no more than 2 pages long, single-spaced, size 12 pt font
named with a distinctive title unique to the proposal (e.g. Polar_Turbellaria_Part_1.doc).

The text should identify what gaps in knowledge the research aims to fill, why these are important, and why the research should be done now.

Part II contains

Contact details of the post-graduate applicant and their host institution
Contact details of the supervisor(s) and their host institutions
Single page CV of student
Sincle page CV of supervisor(s)
why the applicants are well placed to do the proposed research
what the funds will be used for (Supplementary material may be provided as an Appendix if necessary.

Applicants may be existing or candidate postgraduate students of any nationality, but should be based at a New Zealand institution (e.g. university, museum, or company) for the research. During the tenure of the award each applicant must be an enrolled student and a member of NZMSS. Research topic may be in any marine science area. Funds may be used for any purpose that supports the research. Recipients will present their findings at an NZMSS annual conference at their own expense (but registration fee will be waived), and provide a 1-2 page summary of their findings by email to the NZMSS Secretary in a style suitable as a press release within 1 year of the research being completed. All data from the work will be published in a journal, book, and/or on the world wide web. All publications and presentations will acknowledge that the research was “stimulated by a Scholarship Grant from the New Zealand Marine Science Society”. The applicant and supervisor will provide a signed statement as to the use of the funds within one year of the award. Recipients maintain their eligibility for any future NZMSS grants. Proposals will be independently reviewed by three referees not associated with any proposals. Referees will not confer until they have ranked proposals. Part 1 proposals will be ranked according to their likelihood of stimulating new research involving graduate students at New Zealand institutions. Referees will only review Part II of proposals where they consider Part 1 of high scientific merit. NZMSS reserves the right to attach additional conditions to awards where the referees feel it desirable. Applicants will be informed if they have or have not been successful.