Student Travel Grants

NALMS awards travel grants so students can present results of their undergraduate or graduate research at the Annual International Symposium. At the time of request for a Student Travel Grant, an applicant must be currently enrolled as a student in a college or university in a degree-seeking program at either an undergraduate, Master’s or Ph.D. level, or equivalent for foreign students OR within one year of their graduation date from such a program.

To be considered for a travel grant…

1. You must first submit an abstract and be selected to present at the Symposium.
   • Your presentation must highlight research done by you as a student under the direction of a designated professor or advisor.
   • Your research must relate to lake and reservoir management.
   • Please note, your abstract is subject to the same standards used to select all abstracts.
2. After your abstract is selected you must submit the Student Travel Grant Application by July 26, 2024.
   • Please note that when you submit, your application materials become NALMS property and will not be returned.

Application Materials

In addition to completing the application form, you will be asked to provide a PDF file with the following additional application information:

1. Evidence of enrollment at the time of application, if still a student: This may be in the form of a letter from either the Registrar or Student Advisor confirming that the applicant is a currently-registered student in good standing.
2. Two letters of recommendation from those who know applicant’s potential professional capability: One of the letters shall be from the Advisor who supervised the research conducted by the student. This letter of recommendation shall emphasize the quality of the research and general applicability to the field of lake management. The second letter of recommendation shall be provided by a faculty member other than the Faculty Advisor who is familiar with the general character and academic accomplishments of the student.
3. Any additional information concerning the academic status of the applicant, including bios, list of publications, list of presentations and other information.

Here’s how we make our selection:

1. Our Scholarship Committee will review your travel grant application.
2. The committee will give your application a number score in four categories, which include:
   • Abstract quality
   • Impact on lake management
   • Strength of recommendation letters
   • and Miscellany like, but not limited to, NALMS membership, prior publications and presentations.
3. Once your application is scored it will be ranked against other applications.
4. The Scholarship Committee will consider the following when deciding to ask our Board to support your grant:
   • The availability of funds in the Symposium budget
   • Your application rank
   • The amount of aid you’ve requested
   • The travel distance
   • Your planned mode of transport

Our Distribution & Reimbursement Policy

We use these guidelines when distributing travel grant funds.

1. Conference Registration: If your application is approved and it included a request for symposium registration, you will receive a free Student Registration, which includes all meals offered as part of the regular program. We deduct the funds required to cover the cost of free registrations from the amount assigned to student grants within the Symposium budget. We then distribute the remaining funds as student travel grants.
2. Travel Assistance: If your application is approved, we will reimburse your travel expenses up to the maximum amount awarded to you. You may expense the cost of your hotel room and plane or auto transportation costs. Please note, you must submit receipts as proof of these expenses no later than November 30.
   • Accommodations: We may include a free hotel room as part of your student travel grant. However, NALMS must arrange the reservation. We urge you to accept a double occupancy room with two beds, in order to maximize our ability to support as many students as possible. Please note that you may not expense room charges for meals, entertainment or other items unrelated to the Symposium.
   • Transportation: You may expense either coach class airfare and ground transportation from the destination airport to the location of the Symposium – OR – vehicle mileage at the current federal rate, tolls and parking. If your transportation expenses are more than the amount awarded, you must pay the excess expense. If your transportation expenses are less than the amount awarded, the leftover funds will stay in the grant pool and be available for other students.
   • Additional Travel Expenses Not Covered Above: If needed, additional funds may be requested for items not explicitly covered above. For instance, if the destination of the Symposium is far from a major airport and ground transportation is not available, you may request a rental car. These requests are given the lowest priority.
3. NALMS Membership: If you are a first-time awardee you will receive a free one-year student membership in NALMS.
4. Repeat Awards: You may submit only one application each year. However, you may request aid in multiple years if your abstract highlights a different research topic or is a much enhanced version of your prior submission. The Scholarship Committee may consider your prior awards as a factor in the Miscellany category when scoring your application. After you receive your first award you must be a NALMS member to receive further awards.

Click here to submit your travel grant application