MSA Graduate Fellowships
Graduate Fellowships: Two MSA Graduate Fellowships ($2,000 each), the NAMA Memorial Fellowship ($2,000), and the Backus Award ($1000) are awarded annually to promising graduate students in mycology. Applicants are evaluated on the basis of their scholastic merit, research ability and promise shown as a mycologist. These fellowships are intended as supplementary grants and may be used by the recipients in any way to further their graduate studies. They are awarded in addition to any fellowship or assistantship support from other sources.
Application deadline: February 15, annually
Requirements: Applicants must be:
- Student members of the MSA.
- Candidates for the Ph.D.
- Resident during the tenure of the fellowship in a university in Canada or the United States. Previous recipients of these fellowships are not eligible to apply. The NAMA Fellowship comes with the stipulation that the awardee prepare an article for McIlvainea.
Documents required:
- A cover letter addressing your eligibility including a statement that you have passed your qualifying exams (comprehensive, oral, preliminary, or their equivalent).
- A curriculum vitae that includes a paragraph describing your training for the proposed work.
- A detailed plan of study. [The text of this plan of study must be no longer than five pages including tables, figures, references, and a proposed budget. Applications that include proposals exceeding the 5-page limit will not be considered. The text of this proposal should be single-spaced and printed in a regular sized font (10 cpi or 12 point). Suggestions for preparing this plan of study are provided below.]
- Two letters of recommendation, one of which is from your supervisor or thesis advisor. Both referees must be members of MSA. We recommend that your supervisor’s letter also address your eligibility based on candidacy.
- Graduate school transcripts showing courses taken, grades received, student Social Security number and Student ID number. Photocopies are acceptable if signed by your supervisor, but at least one must be an official transcript obtained from your institution’s Registrar.
Plan of study should include the following:
- A 200- to 250-word Abstract;
- An Introduction that explains what you want to do and why it is interesting or important;
- A Methods section that convinces the reader that the project is feasible and describes how the study will be conducted; and
- A Discussion section that explains preliminary results of your study (if any) and their significance. Be concise. Use section headings and double spacing between paragraphs to make your proposal easier to read.
Apply to: Send one copy of your completed application, including all items listed above, in electronic format and preferably as a single pdf file, to the Chair of the MSA Student Awards Committee. Confidential letters of reference and transcripts that are not available electronically should be sent, in quadruplicate by regular mail to the Chair of the Student Awards Committee. All documents must be in English to be considered.
Note: The Chair will appoint an ad hoc member to replace any Committee member who has a student applying for a fellowship or who otherwise feels a conflict of interest. The successful applicants will be notified upon selection (usually within four weeks of the closing date for nominations) so that they may plan to attend the awards presentation at the annual meeting. Those applicants not notified within this time were not selected as awardees, but all applicants will be notified of their status. The stipends are awarded following confirmation that the applicants meet the requirements for eligibility.
| Recipients of the MSA Graduate Fellowship | |
| 2012 | Kathryn Picard Rodrigo Olarte |
| 2011 | Hector Urbina Louis Lamit |
| 2010 | Jana M. U’Ren Nhu H. Nguyen |
| 2009 | Marin Brewer Brendan Hodkinson |
| 2008 | Sara Branco Tami McDonald |
| 2007 | Andrea Porras-Alfaro Cara Gibson |
| 2006 | Cécile Gueidan Huzefa Raja |
| 2005 | Travis A. Clark Andrew W. Wilson |
| 2004 | Jozsef Geml Valerie Reeb |
| 2003 | Jeremy Dettman Lisa Grubisha |
| 2002 | Tim James Christine Baker |
| 2001 | Priscila Chaverri Zhihong Zhong |
| 2000 | Jutta Buschbom Leah Cowen |
| 1999 | Brian Shaw Karl Henry |
| 1998 | Jamie Platt Scott Kroken |
| 1997 | Amy Tuininga Ignazio Carbone |
| 1996 | Kathie Hodge Elizabeth Frieders |
| 1995 | Yatika Kohli Steven Doggett |
| 1994 | David M. Geiser Wendy A. Untereiner |
| 1993 | Francois Lutzoni Lorelei L. Norvell |
| 1992 | Kirk Czymmek David Rizzo |
| 1991 | John S. Hopple Karen Snetselaar |
| 1990 | Shelly A. Brunt Susan G. W. Kamiskyj |
| 1989 | Steven B. Lee Josephine Taylor |
| 1988 | Paula T. DePriest Lisa Muehlstein |
| 1987 | Kathleen M. T. Cason Dennis E. Desjardin |
| 1986 | John S. Horton Richard W. Kerrigan |
| 1985 | Georgiana May Rodney Roberts |
| 1984 | Thomas Bruns Thomas Chase |
| 1983 | John Hammer Karl McKnight |
| 1982 | Faye Murrin Bruce Tucker |
| 1981 | Charles Jacobs Kenneth Whitney |
| 1980 | Thomas Harrington Steven Warner |
| 1979 | Michael Allen Robert Antibus |
| 1978 | James Anderson Larry Gauriloff |
| 1977 | Kurt Dahlberg Linda Kohn |
| 1976 | Scott Redhead John Taylor |
| 1975 | Martha Sherwood |
| 1974 | Robert Fogel |
| 1973 | William Timberlake |
| 1972 | Jeffrey Pommervile |
| 1971 | Thomas R. Matthews |
| 1970 | Jimmy D. Clark |
| 1969 | Lauritz W. Olson |
| 1968 | Robert F. Devlin |
| 1967 | David J. McLaughlin |
| 1966 | William G. Merz |
| 1965 | ? |
| 1964 | ? |
| 1963 | Larry J. Littlefield |
| Recipients of the NAMA Memorial Fellowship | Given in Honor of: | |
| 2012 | Dimitrious Floudas | Larry Stickney |
| 2011 | Vince Hustad | Ben Woo |
| 2010 | Valerie L. Wong | in celebration of the 50th anniversary of NAMA |
| 2009 | Jennifer Kerekes | Elsie Knighton |
| 2008 | Jo Anne Crouch | Orson K. Miller |
| 2007 | Todd Osmundson | Bill Cibula |
| 2006 | Bryn Dentinger | |
| 2005 | No Award | |
| 2004 | Jerri Parent | |
| 2003 | No Award | |
| 2002 | Admir Giachini | Leo Tanghe |
| 2001 | P. Brandon Matheny | Kent & Vera McKnight |
| 2000 | Steve Trudell | Chuck Barrows |
| 1999 | Cameron Currie | Helen V. Smith |
| 1998 | John Paul Schmitt | |
| 1997 | Daniel Czederpiltz | |
| 1996 | James Johnson | |
| 1995 | Greg Saenz | |
| Recipients of the Myron P. Backus Graduate Fellowship |
|
| 2012 | Joshua Birkebak |
| 2011 | Allison Walker |
| 2010 | Donald M. Walker |
| 2009 | Megan Saunders |
| 2008 | Luis Meija |
| 2007 | Teresita McLenon-Porter |
| 2006 | Suzanne Joneson |
| 2005 | Bryn T. M. Dentinger |
| 2004 | Rachel Novick |
| 2003 | Daniel Henk |
| 2002 | Yuri Springer |
| 2001 | Andrew Miller |
| 2000 | Paulo Ceresini |
| 1999 | Sean Abbott |
| 1998 | Guillermo Pimentel |
| 1997 | Dennis McDaniel |
| 1996 | John McKemy |
| 1995 | David Gernandt |
| 1994 | Paul T. Gieser |
