Interdepartmental Genetics Graduate Program - M.S./Ph.D.

The Interdepartmental Genetics Graduate program believes that professional travel, whether local, national, or international, builds confidence, aids in networking, provides access to a community with similar research interests, and helps you develop the ability to communicate and defend your own research. Conferences and Symposia can recharge and open new avenues of thought. Talk with your major professor and POS committee members about the best opportunties.

Below are potential resources for funding for travel. Here is a form sample that you can use to keep track of travel expenses for reimbursement.

Request a Iowa State University Professional Advancement Grant Travel PAGs may be granted to students who attend a professional meeting, defined as a gathering of an organized society of professionals for the purpose of presenting research. Travel PAGs may also be approved for attending professional workshops that provide hands-on experiences not available at Iowa State University (ISU). Travel PAGs will not provide funding for required academic activities as defined in GPSS Bill 93-06, including workshops, classes, or other events required for fulfillment of a student's degree requirements or program of study. Travel PAGs are divided into two categories depending on the student's involvement at the meeting: Presenters and Non-Presenters (attending only). To qualify for a Presenting Travel PAG, the student must present results of research performed at ISU at the professional meeting. These categories are described in detail in GPSS Bill S07-01.

Symposia and Conferences may have travel grants for graduate students who are willing to help with the symposia or who are presenting.

Request Funding from your Home Department. This can be noted on the PAG in Section IV.

Students who are supported by training grants maybe able to request funding from training grants resources. (Example: IGERT, USDA, MGET).

Request Funding from IG. Funding for professional travel for genetics graduate students is provided through an endowment made by Dr. Hon Pong Fung in memory of his wife, Dr. Sui Tong Chan Fung, who was a former faculty member in the Department of Genetics. Dr. Sui Tong Chan Fung earned both her Masters and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in 1949 and 1953 respectively from Iowa State University. She was a distinguished research scientist. Dr. Hon Pong Fung earned a master of science and a doctorate in civil engineering from Iowa State College in 1948 and 1956, respectively. Dr. Fung provided this endowment in keeping with his desire to support higher education.

Eligibility
• $250 All Genetics Graduate majors in good standing who are presenting and have checklist items up to date.
• $500 All Genetics Graduate majors in good standing who are presenting and who have passed their prelims
• Note: Students in the GDCB Department can not be awarded Fung Travel awards by both IG and GDCB
• For as long as we have funds (Linda will notify you upon receipt of your abstract) regarding availability of funds and amount awarded.
• Fund account to which the monies can be charged will be given upon return from your travel. Have your departmental person who is processing your travel contact Linda (lmwild@iastate.edu or 294-7697) for this account number.

Genetics students awarded Sui Tong Chan Fung Travel Awards for FY10 (total $3850)

• Ashley Dierenfeld, Animal Science (Ellinwood Lab) $250; 59th Annual meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics, Oct 20, 2009
• Peter Howe, Plant Pathology (Baum Lab) $500; 2nd International Congress of Tropical Nematology, Oct 4, 2009
• Yinsheng Zhao, FSHN (Birt Lab) $500; 2009 Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research Coference, Dec 6, 2009
• Xia Zhao, Animal Science (Rothschild/Garrick Labs) $250; Plant and Animal Genome XVIII Conference, January 9, 2010.
• Danielle Gorbach, Animal Science (Rothschild Lab) $250: Pig Genome III Conference, Nov 2, 2009
• Ceren Ciraci, Animal Science (Lamont Lab) $500: Plant and Animal Genome XVIII Conference, January 9, 2010.
• Zhangqi Shen, Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine (Zhang Lab) $250: Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases, Dec 6, 2009
• Sarah Beth Redmond, Animal Science (Lamont Lab) $500: Plant and Animal Genome XVIII Conference, January 9, 2010.
• Karri Haen, Ecology Evolution and Organismal Biology (Lavrov Lab) $250: Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, January 4, 2010.
• Brandi Sigmon, Genetics Development and Cell Biology (Vollbrecht Lab) $500: Plant and Animal Genome XVIII conference, January 9, 2010.
• Romulo Macord Segovia Ugarte, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (Lavrov Lab) $250: The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, January 3, 2010.