Tony B. Academic Travel Awards for Students, Post-Doctoral Fellows and Junior Faculty

Tony B. Academic Travel Award

The Tony B. Academic Travel Award honors Tony Beugelsdijk, Los Alamos National Laboratory, an Association for Laboratory Automation (ALA) co-founder who passed away in August, 2009. Tony played a very inspirational and instrumental role in laboratory robotics and made significant contributions to ALA, the former LabAutomation conference and exhibition, and the scientific community as a whole. We are honored to remember him through a program that recognizes up-and-coming researchers who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in laboratory science and technology.

Students, graduate students, post-doctoral associates, and junior faculty (less than four years in first academic appointment) may apply for a travel award. The applicant must be the primary author of a submitted abstract and must present their research in either a poster or oral (podium) session at the conference.

Award applications are reviewed by members of the SLAS Awards and Grants Committee and are based on a number of factors, including but not limited to:

  • Quality of the abstract
  • Relevance of the research to the SLAS2012 conference
  • Statement of value of the conference
  • Qualifications of the applicant

Multiple applicants from a single research group are allowed to apply for the award. However, such applicants should understand that award application reviewers may prioritize the applications such that only one individual per investigator's research group will receive an award, based on funding availability and the criteria stated above.

Application submissions and accompanying support materials must be received by Monday, September 26, 2011. Notification of award winners will be e-mailed by Wednesday, November 2, 2011.

Important Deadline Note:

If you want your submission considered for a podium presentation, your application must be received by Monday, August 8, 2011. After this date, all abstracts will be considered for poster presentations only.

Tony B. Academic Travel Award Details of Covered Expenses:

  • Airfare: Coach or Super saver. Travel arrangements made through anyone other than an SLAS agent will be refunded at actual cost or at "fair market rate" as provided by SLAS agent, whichever is lower.
  • Personal Auto: Mileage will be reimbursed (only in lieu of airfare) at the 2012 IRS standard as published by the United States Government. Rental cars are not reimbursed.
  • Meeting Registration: Full conference registration as well as registration for a one-day short course (space limited for short courses) is included. Any costs associated with required text books will be the responsibility of the individual. If an awardee chooses a two-day course, the additional day will be the responsibility of the individual, at the student rate of $25/day.
  • Accommodations: Accommodations will be provided by the SLAS housing office on a shared basis for a maximum of 4 nights (2 people per room) at an official SLAS hotel. If award recipient does not wish to share a room, then half of hotel cost will be reimbursed (2 nights). If recipient is traveling from outside of North America, 5 nights of a shared hotel room will be provided.

Travel awards do not include a per-diem for food, rental car reimbursement, ground transportation or other expenses. The conference provides most meals with registration.

Award Submission Process

To submit for consideration for this award you must submit an abstract via the SLAS2012 Call for Abstracts. In order to do so, please visit: http://www.slas2012.org/presenters/abstractguidelines.cfm

You will be given the option to opt in to participate in the award. During the submission process you will be requested to provide:

  • Abstract Submission including title, presenter and author information.
  • Contact information and letter of support from a faculty mentor or department chairperson.
    • You will be required to upload you letter of support during the abstract submission process. (doc, docx, pdf)
  • Brief statement of perceived value for attending SLAS2012.
    • Maximum 50 words.

If you have any questions please contact Katie Woywod at kwoywod@slas.org.