Student Merit / Junior Investigator

The Student Merit and Junior Investigator (SM/JI) Meeting Awards provide need-based financial assistance to a limited number of eligible applicants who are participating in the RSA Annual Scientific Meeting as the presenting author of a poster or a symposium speaker. Funding is provided through a grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and is intended to help offset the costs of attending the meeting.

Funding is limited and is not guaranteed. Awards are based on both the merit of the submitted abstract and the applicant’s demonstrated financial need.

Depending on available funding and the applicant’s level of need, an award may cover:

• Annual Meeting registration only, or
• Annual Meeting registration plus a limited travel stipend

All individuals seeking SM/JI funding must submit an application. Applicants must also submit a symposium speaker or poster abstract by the Annual Meeting abstract submission deadline and provide the abstract submission ID within their award application.

Eligibility

Junior Investigator

• Must be no more than 4 years past completion of their degree

Student Merit

• Must be a graduate or undergraduate student

• Undergraduate applicants do not need to be the presenting author; however, only one applicant per abstract will be accepted

• All student applicants must submit a verification letter confirming their student status. The letter should also briefly describe the applicant’s recent research activities and may be provided by a department chair, advisor, PI or office manager.

Selection Criteria

Because funding is limited, not all eligible applicants will receive an award. Applications will be reviewed by hte SM/JI commitee based on:

• Merit of the submitted abstract
• Financial need as described in the application

Additional consideration may be given to Students and Junior Investigators from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) or underrepresented regions.

Award Notification and Annual Meeting Registration

SM/JI award decisions are made only after RSA receives confirmation of funding from NIAAA and the Student Merit and Junior Investigator Award Committee completes its review. As a result, SM/JI award notifications may be sent later than the standard mid-March notifications for other RSA Annual Awards.

If you have applied for an SM/JI Meeting Award, please DO NOT pay for your Annual Meeting registration until AFTER you receive your award decision by email from the RSA Executive Office.

If you receive a registration-only award, the registration fee will be waived directly in your account. You will then be notified that you may complete your meeting registration. SM/JI award recipients will not receive a registration code.

Applicants should also wait until receiving their award decision before finalizing registration for optional events requiring an RSVP, such as the Student Lunch or Post-Doc Dinner. You may add these events before receiving your award decision, but any associated costs or commitments are made at your own risk.

Important Information About Financial Need

SM/JI Meeting Awards are specifically intended to assist applicants who need financial support to attend the Annual Scientific Meeting. Because financial need is a factor in determining awards, paying your meeting registration BEFORE receiving an award decision may affect the Committee’s assessment of your need for funding and may affect your eligibility for an additional stipend award or reimbursement of the registration fee.

To ensure that your application receives appropriate consideration, please wait for official notification from the RSA Executive Office BEFORE paying your Annual Meeting registration fee.

Questions

If you have any questions, please contact:

Rachel Retherford
RSA Member Services Manager

rretherford@parthenonmgmt.com