Symposium Travel Award

Initiated in 1998 and now an integral part of each year's symposium, the Symposium Travel Award Program will award support at two levels: HealthEmotions Research Institute Symposium Scholars and HealthEmotions Research Institute Symposium Fellows. The program is competitive and entry is open internationally to undergraduate and graduate students, medical students, residents, and post-doctoral trainees. Previous winners are eligible and are encouraged to apply for 2007, provided they still qualify as a student or trainee at the time of application (see section below on general eligibility criteria).

Applications will be reviewed and winners selected by the scientific faculty of the HealthEmotions Research Institute. Up to 85 travel awards will be offered – approximately 15 at the Scholar level and 70 at the Fellow level, with the exact distribution between the two categories dependent upon applicant pool qualifications.

Each travel award includes three components:

1. A travel expenses reimbursement award. The maximum reimbursement for HealthEmotions Research Institute Symposium Scholars is $550. The maximum reimbursement for HealthEmotions Research Institute Symposium Fellows is $275.

2. Two nights’ accommodation at a Madison hotel. Hotel reservations for all winners will be made by the Institute. Each travel award winner will have his or her own room. The hotel provides complimentary shuttle service to and from the airport.  Each hotel accommodating Travel Award winners is within easy walking distance of the Convention Center and downtown Madison.

3. Waiver of the $150 registration fee.

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted online via the HealthEmotions Research Institute website. The online process is quick and easy. Former applicants should note the application process has changed slightly this year. Please read the instructions thoroughly before submitting your application.

DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF SYMPOSIUM TRAVEL AWARD APPLICATIONS IS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2007 - 12:00 NOON

Application Confirmation

Receipt of all applications will be acknowledged by email. Please note that as the application deadline nears, the volume of applications increases substantially and there may be a delay in confirming receipt of your submission. But you will receive confirmation. Timely submission is encouraged.

Announcement of Winners

Notification of final award status will be emailed to all applicants no later than Monday, March 19, 2007.

Confirmation of Acceptance

Winners will have until Thursday, March 22 to confirm acceptance of their travel awards. In the event a winner is unable to attend, the award will be offered to an alternate selected from the applicant pool.

Eligibility

We appreciate the interest shown each year by dedicated individuals "in between" programs in the educational track, often working in labs to bolster research skills before applying to graduate school or a postdoctoral program. Unfortunately, due to the very large number of travel award applicants each year, we must hold to the student and trainee status requirement for eligibility. Please note that you must either be currently enrolled as an undergraduate, graduate student (including medical students), or postdoctoral trainee (including medical residents), or you must have been formally accepted to such a program. If you have been accepted, but have not yet started, please provide a copy of your official acceptance notification with your application.

Note regarding proper student/trainee category for application submission: Some countries classify medical students as “undergraduate students.” For the purpose of this competition, all medical students are considered “graduate students.”  If you have a terminal degree and are currently pursuing a second degree (e.g., you are an MD working on a PhD, or a PhD working on an MD), for the purpose of this competition, you are considered a “graduate student.”  Medical residents are considered “post doctoral trainee.”

NOTE: Applications received after the deadline cannot be accepted. All applications received by the deadline are processed and forwarded to the reviewers on Saturday morning, February 17, 2007. To be included in this year's competition, your application must be received by the deadline.

Summary of key symposium Travel Award Program dates:

Application Deadline:
February 16, 2007

Announcement of Winning Applications:
March 19, 2007

Winners' Confirmation of Award Acceptance:
March 22, 2007

Travel Award Directory

A directory of all Travel Award Winners at both levels will be printed for distribution at the symposium. The directory is intended to facilitate interaction among an outstanding group of young scientists and potential colleagues with possible interests in similar areas of research. If selected as a travel award recipient, your name will appear in the directory and, with your permission, your one-paragraph summary of current research interests and your email address will be included with your name. Travel Award Winners will be asked when they accept their award to confirm whether or not they give permission for either/both their research summary and email address to be printed.

Important note to all applicants regarding registration:

Travel award application and symposium registration are two separate processes, and submission of a travel award application does not automatically register you as an attendee. Only if selected for an award are you automatically registered – 85 seats are held for the 85 winning applicants. HOWEVER…

... if you do plan to attend even if not selected for a travel award: You should refer to the registration section and submit a registration request as soon as possible (separate from your travel award application) because general reservations will be filling quickly and capacity is limited. We suggest doing so at the same time you submit your travel award application. If selected for an award, your registration fee will be refunded shortly after the announcement of winners. When completing the registration request form, please be certain to check the box indicating that you are also applying for a travel award at the top of the registration form to facilitate a refund.

... if you plan to attend only if selected for a travel award:
You need only submit your travel award application. There is no need to request registration separately.

Note to foreign students and trainees regarding
visa requirements:

Some visa classifications have varying requirements on how these awards can be paid. If you are a non-US citizen, we will advise you of any special requirements depending upon the type of visa you will be holding at the time of the symposium. Please be certain to provide complete details regarding foreign status where requested on the Travel Award Application Form.

CLICK HERE FOR Travel Award Application Form