The National Science Foundation Undergraduate Mentoring in Environmental Biology (UMEB) program, in collaboration with the Estuarine Research Federation is providing funding for up to 15 undergraduate students to travel to the Fall 2007 Conference in Providence, RI, November 4-8. Funding is available for undergraduate students who are involved in estuarine or coastal research, particularly those students from groups under-represented in the sciences.

     All UMEB/ERF students receiving travel funds for the conference will present a scientific poster based on research completed since the previous ERF conference (October 2005). Through each day's events, UMEB/ERF students and their mentors will have structured times to gather as a group and/or in individual pairs to discuss, share and ensure an educationally distinctive and rewarding learning experience. Students have the opportunity to put their research within the context of estuarine and coastal science conducted internationally and to learn more about careers in estuarine science.

     WHO IS ELIGIBLE: All undergraduate students who can present results of their research at the Fall 2007 ERF meeting in Providence, RI. The UMEB program has provided funding specifically to encourage participation by students from groups under-represented in the sciences: Native Americans (including American Indians and Alaskan Natives), African-Americans, Hispanics, and Native Pacific Islanders. Our goal is that 80% of selected students will be from these groups under-represented in the sciences. Students must be citizens of the U.S. or its possessions.

     PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE: Travel, hotel, conference registration and subsistence support during the conference. In addition to their own poster presentations and to attending oral and poster sessions throughout the week, participating students will attend UMEB/ERF events including a pre-conference workshop, a field trip, an initial meet-and-greet with distinguished ERF representatives, meetings/discussions with mentors, a student career event/pizza social, a Women's Aquatic Network luncheon, a mixer with graduate students and scientists from the coastal NSF-LTER programs, and an end-of-conference evaluation session.

     HOW TO APPLY: UMEB/ERF applications and abstract submissions for poster presentations at the ERF 2007 Conference will be accepted at this website starting in January 2007. Stay tuned for more details!

Any questions, contact Randy Chambers, College of William and Mary.