Research and Travel Exchange Program

C-DEBI facilitates scientific coordination and collaborations by supporting student, postdoctoral, and faculty exchanges to build, educate and train the deep subseafloor biosphere community. We award small research and travel grants for Center affiliates. These grants may be used to support research, travel for presenting C-DEBI research at meetings, or travel exchanges to other partner institutions or institutions that have new tools and techniques that can be applied to C-DEBI research.

Research exchanges establish direct linkages among groups within individual institutions, which are intended to result in a well-connected community and the development of future deep subseafloor biosphere researchers and leaders. These exchanges allow a C-DEBI researcher (student/postdoctoral/faculty) to spend 1-6 months at a participating C-DEBI community host laboratory to carry out experiments, use analytical equipment, learn a new tool, and/or join a research cruise. Research exchanges may operate between any willing C-DEBI collaborating laboratories. Travel exchanges function similarly.

Financial support for exchanges through C-DEBI will be ~50% of the total cost. Matching funds would be required, for example, a travel award from any program that supports student awards in this way (e.g., Geological Society of America, NASA Lewis and Clark fellowships), or by other means, such as matching support from the researcher's institution or from a postdoctoral supervisor. We anticipate ~10 awards of $500-5000 to be granted annually. This is a rolling call.

C-DEBI encourages underrepresented groups to apply. This funding is only available to individuals sponsored in US institutions.
 

A complete application consists of the following:

1. Cover page (PDF form)
2. Research or travel proposal (2 pages) outlining the intended objective and anticipated outcome of a research or travel exchange
3. Budget (1 page) outlining expected costs of the exchange as well as other sources of funds which will be used to support the exchange
4. Confirmation of financial commitment for matching funds
5. CV
6. Two letters of support
7. Letter of support from the advisor at the hosting institution (if applicable)
8. For students and postdoctorals, also include a letter of support from the director or senior program administrator at the home program which acknowledges the absence from the home institution

Recipients of the exchange awards will be required to present their findings at the subsequent annual C-DEBI meeting. In addition, they will prepare a short summary of their exchange experience for display on the C-DEBI website. Acknowledgement of NSF and C-DEBI support is mandatory in all associated oral and poster presentations and publications.

Please submit your proposal by email to C-DEBI at submissions@darkenergybiosphere.org to the attention of:

Rosalynn Lee Sylvan
Associate Managing Director
Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations
Email: rosalyyl@usc.edu

> What research and travel exchanges have been funded?
> Our DEBI RCN Graduate Student Education Exchange program also supports graduate student exchanges to facilitate collaborations among deep biosphere research groups with the end goal of building and educating the community.
> See also the opportunity for Interridge Cruise Travel Bursaries of up to $2000.