Forest Fungal Ecology Post-Doctoral Award Grant

The Forest Fungal Ecology Postdoctoral Research Award supports innovative ecological studies focusing on fungal interactions within old growth and endangered ecosystems. Eligible candidates are MSA members who have completed their Ph.D. within the last five years and have made significant contributions to the field. Awardees are required to submit a biography, a detailed study plan, and contribute an article about their research to promote their findings within the mycological community.

Forest Fungal Ecology Postdoctoral Research Award
This award supports ecological studies of fungal interactions in old growth forests or other unique or endangered ecosystems. Proposals should address innovative approaches to examining fungal systems or interactions of individuals, or groups of fungi, with hosts or substrates in old growth forests or other sensitive ecosystems.
Award Terms
All awardees must provide a short biography (100-200 words) and a photo (if possible) within two weeks of notification from the Awards Coordinator, using the Awardee Document Submission Form. These will be requested at the appropriate time. Photos and biographies will be published in Inoculum.The award check must be deposited or cashed within 5 months.Each award recipient is required to complete a W-9 form prior to receiving their award funds. Awardees will be contacted by the management company regarding this process. (This only applies if you have a U.S. Social Security Number).Keep copies of your W-9 and all receipts and expenses that are part of this award. These documents are important and may be necessary for tax purposes.Each awardee will contribute a short article about their research to MSA within a year of receiving the award. Articles should be written for a general audience and may be published in Inoculum or other MSA venues (e.g. MSA website). This will be a great opportunity to promote your research to the MSA community. Articles will be requested by the Awards Coordinator at the appropriate time.Please acknowledge MSA in any products that result from this support (e.g., poster presentations, oral presentations, and scientific articles).
Note: We expect all award winners to make every effort to attend the MSA annual meeting and encourage all applicants to concurrently apply for an MSA Travel Award in support of that. Presence at the MSA meeting to accept the award gives awardees the opportunity to meet the mycological community, and it gives MSA members an opportunity to meet the awardees.

Eligibility

Award RequirementsApplicants must be current MSA members or must have applied for membership at the time of the award application.Applicants must have received their Ph.D. within the past 5 years, who have made significant contributions to our understanding of Forest Fungal Ecology during that time, and who are currently engaged in work in the area as a postdoctoral researcher.Documents RequiredApplication FormA curriculum vitae that includes at least (maximum 3 pages):Name, contact address, email address, and phone numberEducation and professional historyPrevious awards and honorsPublications and other significant professional output that demonstrate the contribution of the candidate to Forest Fungal EcologyServiceA detailed plan of study. The text of this plan of study must be no longer than 5 pages; including tables, figures, and references. The text of this proposal should be single-spaced and printed in a regular sized font (10 cpi or 12 point) with one-inch margins on all sides. Section headings and double spacing between paragraphs may be used to make your proposal easier to read. The proposal must include:Abstract (200-250 words)Introduction: explains what you want to do and why it is interesting or importantObjectivesMethods: demonstrates that the project is feasible and describes how the study will be conductedSignificance and preliminary results, if available (be concise in your explanation)Budget and budget justification. Include in this section a timeline to complete the proposal (generally one year) and a plan for dissemination of resultsReferencesCopy of the permit or letter requesting a permit if it is needed to work in a sensitive site (as a part of the PDF file).One letter of support should address the significance of the completed and current work in Forest Fungal Ecology. The reference letter should be sent directly by the individual writing the letter, not the applicant.All documents must be in English to be considered with the exception of the collecting permit
You must be a member of this organization to apply for this award - become a member. Applicants must be current MSA members or must have applied for membership at the time of the award application.

Ineligibility

Floristic and systematic studies will not be considered. Applications that include proposals exceeding the 5-page limit will not be considered.Indirect cost is not allowed on MSA awards