The NASA Astrobiology Program is pleased to be sponsoring the Student Poster Competition at AbSciCon 2012. As with previous AbSciCon conferences, this event will provide motivation, encouragement, and most of all, recognition to astrobiologists of the future.

There will be 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place selections with awards of $1,500, $1000 and $500 respectively.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Participants must be enrolled in a degree program at the time of abstract submission (selected students will be asked to sign a statement of eligibility).


• The award is intended primarily for students at the graduate level. However, undergraduate level students are also eligible to compete.


• Postdocs are NOT eligible.


• Eligibility is open to both U.S. citizens and non-U.S. citizens.

Abstract Requirements:

• Only one abstract per student will be considered for an award.


• The student must be the senior author of the abstract, the major contributor to the material presented, and the person presenting the poster.


• The majority of the material should not have been previously presented at another meeting.

Criteria for Selection:

• Originality of the research


• Quality of the execution


• Impact to the field


• Organization and clarity of presentation

Competition Registration:

When you receive the email notification of your poster assignment, you must accept the invitation to present a poster at the conference. You will be prompted to select an answer to the statement, “Do you want to enter this poster in the Student Poster Competition.” Select “YES” to register. You can also access this option by logging into your AbSciCon Abstract Central account and checking your “Messages” from the menu on the left side of the welcome page.

CLICK HERE to access the AbSciCon 2012 abstract central website.

The deadline to register for the competition is Monday, April 2, 2012.

Awards:

Winners will be announced at the conference on Friday, April 20.

NASA's Astrobiology Program is funding a limited number of travel grants to qualified students to attend the conference. Reimbursable costs include transportation (airfare or mileage in one’s personal vehicle, compact rental car, and fuel costs), lodging, meals and incidental expenses, and the conference registration fee. In most cases, actual expenses will exceed the funding provided. Students who are awarded travel grants may be asked to assist conference organizers with tasks during the conference. These tasks will not interfere with their ability to participate in technical sessions.

Recipients of student travel grants have been notified of their award status and requirements. Recipients must pay for their travel expenses, INCLUDING THE CONFERENCE REGISTRATION FEE. The award will be issued post-conference as outlined in the notification letter.

Please contact us at abscicon@gmail.com if you have questions about the Student Poster Competition or Student Travel Grants