FOR STUDENTS

For SMM2022, student travel grants will be available to cover virtual registration fees, in-person registration fees, and travel costs (including airfare, housing, and food) for any student who is presenting at the conference, encouraging all forms of participation. 

Grants are awarded by the SMM Student Affairs Committee, and the number of grants and amount awarded will depend on our budget, the number of applicants, and student needs, including but not limited to travel distance, nationality, home institution, and the number of virtual registrations. 

For this reason, we are not able to provide grants to everyone, and the amount we are able to award may not be enough to cover all expenses. We strongly encourage you to apply for multiple sources of funding. 

We ask that you please not apply for the SMM travel grant if you do not need funding and/or you will be funded by your own institution, in order to give other students the opportunity to access the grants.

To apply for a student travel grant for the 2021 conference, you will need to:

1. Be submitting an abstract for a presentation of any format (oral, poster, speed talk, or video).
2. Be a student member of the Society for Marine Mammalogy at the time you submit your abstract. You will be asked to provide your supervisor’s name and institutional email address and a letter from your supervisor confirming your student status. Grants will not be awarded without a verification letter. Click HERE for an example.
3. Respond “Yes” to the “Are you a student?” question box in the online abstract submission process.
4. Answer a series of questions on the online abstract submission page, including:
   • Whether you will be attending the conference in-person or virtually 
   • The region in which your research took place
   • The country where your home institution is located
   • Where you are traveling from for the conference, if applicable 
   • Whether your research involves innovative technology or techniques 
   • What level of student you are (undergraduate, graduate, or post-graduate)
   • Your nationality 
   • The type of support required (accommodation, airfare, conference registration)
   • Amount of support requested 
   • Whether you have applied or will be applying for other grants besides this one

PLEASE NOTE: Student travel grant recipients are required to register for the conference and have their abstract accepted. Abstract submission deadline is 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time (GMT -4) on April 11th.

Since the World Marine Mammal Science Conference in 1998, a Student Affairs Workshop has occurred during each Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals.

The Student Affairs Workshops provide a forum for SMM students to interact with each other, as well as with leading professionals in the field of marine mammal science.  The format of the workshops typically consists of one or more presentations of particular relevance to students engaged in marine mammal research and conservation followed by small-group discussions with participating professionals.

For more information on past workshops, click HERE.

We are hard at work planning several activities to enrich the student experience, including virtual and in-person student nights, networking opportunities, and a student-focused workshop. Please check back in the coming months for more information.

Please click HERE for more information on the volunteer application process and requirements.