Excellence in Graduate Research Award 2025: Call for Applications

Graduate students are invited to apply for an Excellence in Graduate Research Award (previously titled “Graduate Student Showcase”) for the 2025 Joint Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of Alberta and the Entomological Society of Canada. The purpose of the this award is to provide a high-profile opportunity for graduate students near the completion of their degrees to present a more in-depth overview of their thesis research. In addition to having more time to give an oral presentation, each of the four recipients of the award will receive $500, an Ed Becker JAM Participation Award to help cover travel expenses ($500-$700), and a student membership to the ESC with TCE online access. Graduate students who wish to be considered for the award should select “Excellence in Graduate Research Award” from the drop-down menu on the abstract submission site. To be considered for the this award, students must submit additional information to the ESC Student & Early Professional Affairs Committee (see below).

Applicants for the Excellence in Graduate Research Award must:

1. Have defended or plan to defend their thesis at a Canadian University within one year of the meeting
2. Be the principal investigator and principal author of the presented work

Eligible candidates who wish to be considered for the this award must submit a complete application to students@esc-sec.ca, following the instructions below:

1. Submit a 250-word abstract describing the proposed presentation highlighting their work
2. Submit a 1-page (single-spaced, 12 point) outline of their research, including the rationale/significance, methodology, and results to date
3. Arrange to have the principal supervisor email a letter of support that confirms the anticipated or actual date of graduation and comments on the proposed presentation and the applicant’s presentation and research abilities
4. Submit a CV of the applicant with a list of previous conference presentations and other presentation experience

In addition to the above materials, applicants are encouraged – by no means required – to submit supplementary information about any factors that may have influenced their application (e.g., factors that may have limited the access to publication of presentation opportunities). Please note that the supplementary information will be considered confidential, being viewed exclusively by members of the Excellence in Graduate Research Award Committee (former Graduate Student Showcase Selection Committee).

The Excellence in Graduate Research Award application deadline is 1 August 2025. We will select up to (4) recipients. All applicants will be notified of the status of their application before the meeting. Unsuccessful applicants will have their talks automatically moved to a President’s Prize oral session if they meet the eligibility criteria of being currently enrolled in a graduate program or having completed their program within the last 6 months.

Differences between the Excellence in Graduate Research Award (EGRA) and President’s Prize (PP) include:

• The EGRA will take place in its own dedicated time slot; there will be no conflicting talks!
• Presenters in the EGRA are given more time to speak about their research (28 minutes total, with 25 minutes for the presentation and 3 minutes for questions).
• Abstracts for talks presented in the EGRA are published in the ESC Bulletin, an open access publication, received by all ESC members.
• The selection process for the EGRA is competitive (only selected students speak), compared to the PP where all students who enter speak, but only one per category receives a prize.
• All presenters in the EGRA receive an honorarium of $500 and an Ed Becker JAM Participation Award to help cover travel expenses.

We encourage and welcome applications from all eligible individuals, especially those who identify with groups that are underrepresented in STEM and entomology. The Entomological Society of Canada values diversity in all its forms and seeks to represent the breath of Canadian entomological research and researcher identities through its EGRA. Supervisors, please encourage your students to apply and please help us spread the word! Any questions can be directed to students@esc-sec.ca.

Berenice Romero and Georgiana Antochi-Crihan

Co-Chairs of ESC’s Student and Early Professional Affairs Committee (SEPAC)