A Showcase of Recipients of the PSECCO Conference Travel Grant in 2024
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In the spring of 2024, the Polar Science Early Career Community Office (PSECCO) funded 8 Conference Travel Grants for educators and Early Career Researchers (ECRs)! The Conference Travel Grant Program was created to help US-based ECRs and educators attend and present polar-related work at a conference. Here we are excited to share a few examples of funded Travel Conference Grants that have taken place this spring 2024!
PhD student Andrew Uccello from the University of Texas El Paso used PSECCO Travel Conference Grant funds awarded in the spring of 2024 to attend the Soil Ecology Society (SES) conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Here, they presented a poster on soil ecology and soil herbivore interactions in northern Alaska. They learned from other graduate students and even gained insight into how to proceed with their project. This grant allowed Andrew to engage with those who inspired his research, create new connections, and make plans to support those new connections in the future. This experience was so valuable for Andrew that they plan to return to this conference in the future!
Andrew Uccello presenting their poster at SES (left) and traveling in Grand Rapids (right)
PhD student Yuka Nakato from Stanford University used their funding to attend the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation conference in Yokohama, Japan. Yuka shared their presentation on the Background Imaging of Cosmic Extragalactic Polarization (BICEP) Array cosmic microwave background (CMB) telescope at the geographic south pole. In the process, they created presentation slides that can be used in future outreach opportunities. One of the most valuable parts of attending this conference for Yuka was the ability to mingle with graduate students and staff scientists on other projects, and collaborators on the BICEP project from other institutions. They were also introduced to experiments outside their field, which allowed them to broaden their perspective. Yuka also hosted a PSECCO social event, where scientists conducting instrumentation research in Antarctica connected and swapped stories.
Yuka presenting their BICEP information (left) and spending time with their team (right)
Mira Berdahl from the University of Washington, another grant recipient, used their funds to attend the Annual European Geosciences Union (EGU) in Vienna, Austria. Socializing with those in their field was an invaluable experience that expanded their professional network and forged ties that will hopefully last long into the future! Mira’s presentation on understanding conditions leading to West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapse allowed for discussions with fellow researchers throughout the conference and even provided an opportunity to compare their work with that of another scientist. They networked with those who aren’t in their field which furthered their knowledge of subjects closely related to their own research. Seeing colleagues and friends at this conference opened the possibility for new projects in the future as well.
Mira presenting on the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (left) and spending time with colleagues (right)
Sean Schaefer, a PhD candidate at the University of New Hampshire, used their grant to attend the International Conference on Permafrost (ICOP) 2024 in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. They presented research on the microbial communities associated with permafrost thaw and tundra plant roots. Their oral presentation allowed them to refine their scientific communication skills. Sean was somewhat crunched for time when it came to presenting their new data, but because of this opportunity to present their work, they were able to have discussions with people with whom they plan to collaborate in the future. Meeting others within the overlapping microbial and permafrost communities was exhilarating for them as it provided an opportunity to learn about others' work. Traveling to Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada was an amazing experience for them as well as they had the chance to explore outside of the conference!
Sean presenting their work (left) and with their advisor and colleague (right)
PSECCO is excited about the Conference Travel Grants shared here, and we can’t wait to fund more!
Interested in applying to a PSECCO Conference Travel Grant to support sharing about your polar research in the future? Learn more about them here.