A variety of benefits are available to student members of the American Society of Mammalogists. These include the following:

CALL FOR GRADUATE STUDENT HONORARIA ONLINE SUBMISSION

The American Society of Mammalogists (ASM) encourages graduate students to submit a manuscript for competition for 3 honoraria, the Anna M. Jackson, Elmer C. Birney, and A. Brazier Howell awards, to be presented at the annual meeting of the Society. Each award carries an honorarium of $1500, intended to subsidize attendance at the meeting. Honoraria will be awarded based on originality, quality, and written presentation of the research.

The competition is open to all student members of the American Society of Mammalogists, regardless of nationality or current institutional affiliation. To become a member of the Society visit the ASM membership page at  http://www.mammalsociety.org/membership/index.html. Applicants must be masters or doctoral students at the time of the 2008 meeting and must not have received a previous Graduate Honorarium from ASM. ASM Grant-in-Aid recipients are eligible, however, and work done with the assistance of an ASM Grant-in-Aid is completely appropriate. Students unsure of their eligibility are encouraged to contact the Honoraria Committee well in advance of the application deadline (honoraria@mammalsociety.org).

Applicants should submit a single-authored manuscript that describes results of their graduate research. Work that is currently in review or in press may be submitted, however, entry of a manuscript to this competition is not a submission to the Journal of Mammalogy. Manuscripts should be prepared following guidelines linked to the applications web page (or follow Journal guidelines). Submit the manuscripts, in PDF or Microsoft Word format, electronically to  www.mammalsociety.org/applications/ by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on 15 February. Please also email the chair of the committee [Virginia Hayssen, vhayssen@science.smith.edu] when you submit a manuscript. Questions should be directed to honoraria@mammalsociety.org (or via snail mail to Virginia Hayssen, Biology Department, Smith College, Northampton, MA 01063; telephone: 413 585-3856). Papers that do not meet the above requirements or are received after the deadline will not be considered. Applicants will be notified of the committee's decision around 15 March.

Winners of honoraria will present their research at the Plenary Session of the ASM annual meeting. These platform presentations will be 15 min in length (12 min for the presentation, 3 min for questions). Regardless of the outcome of the competition, applicants intending to present a paper at the meeting must submit the usual abstract and pre-registration material to the local committee before the abstract deadline for the meeting.

CALL FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH AWARDS ONLINE SUBMISSION

The American Society of Mammalogists (ASM) encourages undergraduate students to apply for the American Society of Mammalogists Undergraduate Student Research Awards to be presented at the annual meeting of the Society. The competition is open to all undergraduate student members of the American Society of Mammalogists. ASM has an international membership and encourages international students to join the Society and enter the competition. ASM student members currently enrolled in an undergraduate program who will not graduate before May of the current school year and who have not received a previous Undergraduate Award from ASM are eligible to apply. Three awards of $800, intended to subsidize attendance at the meeting, are available for winners of the competition. The Honoraria Committee will review applications and select award recipients on the basis of the originality and quality of research and the student's curriculum vitae. To become a member of the Society visit the ASM membership page at  www.mammalsociety.org/membership.

Applicants should submit a 200–250 word abstract for an oral or poster presentation, a 300–500 word summary of the research project, a curriculum vitae, and a letter from their research advisor. Authors must submit either PDF or Word files. No other formats will be accepted. Applications must be submitted electronically to  http://www.mammalsociety.org/applications by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on 15 February. Please also email the chair of the committee (Virginia Hayssen, vhayssen@science.smith.edu) when you apply. The advisor's letter must be submitted separately from the student's material. Packets that do not meet the above requirements or are received after the deadline will not be considered. Applicants will be notified of the committee's decision around 15 March.

Students receiving awards must present an oral or poster presentation at the Annual Meeting. Applicants should also submit their abstract and pre-registration material to the local organizing committee before the regular abstract submission deadline for the meeting. For details about the next meeting, including abstract submission, see the ASM website:  www.mammalsociety.org/whatsnew/meetings.html.

Questions should be directed to honoraria@mammalsociety.org (or via snail mail to Virginia Hayssen, Biology Department, Smith College, Northampton, MA 01063; telephone: 413 585-3856).

FELLOWSHIPS IN MAMMALOGY

Applications are solicited for 2 graduate fellowships in mammalogy for 2008–2009. The fellowships are intended to promote a professional career in mammalogy by allowing the recipients greater freedom to pursue research, but are not grants in support of specific research projects. These fellowships are the premier awards given to graduate student members of ASM, and are awarded in recognition of both current accomplishments and future potential. Careers of applicants should have progressed sufficiently to clearly demonstrate the potential for productive roles in professional mammalogy. Awards do not preclude support from other sources.

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAMMALOGISTS FELLOWSHIP IN MAMMALOGY

The Board of Directors of the ASM provides a fellowship in mammalogy for any graduate student member of the ASM enrolled in a college or university for the forthcoming academic year (Fall 2008–Spring 2009). The stipend for 2008–2009 will be $19,000 and will include a set of all available ASM Special Publications. The ASM Fellow will be invited to present the results of his/her research at the Plenary Session of the 2009 Annual Meeting of the ASM.

ALBERT R. AND ALMA SHADLE FELLOWSHIP IN MAMMALOGY

The Albert R. and Alma Shadle Endowment Fund provides a fellowship in mammalogy for a graduate student member of the ASM enrolled in a college or university in the United States for the forthcoming academic year (Fall 2008–Spring 2009). The stipend for 2008–2009 is expected to be approximately $4,000 and also will include a set of all available ASM Special Publications. The Shadle Fellow nominee will be invited to present the results of his/her research at the Plenary Session of the 2009 Annual Meeting of the ASM.

Applications for either fellowship should be submitted electronically through the ASM web site ( http://www.mammalsociety.org/applications/). All electronic applications must consist of 9 items: an application form; an abstract; description of research project; brief statement of how support would be used; summary of professional experience in mammalogy, research interest, and career goals; a curriculum vita; and 3 letters of recommendation, including 1 from the applicant's research advisor. Applicants may apply for either or both fellowships with a single application as indicated on the electronic application form. See the ASM web site for additional information. Applications including letters of recommendation must be received by 1 May 2008. Contact C. William Kilpatrick (C-William.Kilpatrick@uvm.edu) if there are exceptional reasons why an application cannot be submitted electronically. The nominees for both fellowships will be announced at the 2008 Annual Meeting.

GRANTS-IN-AID OF RESEARCH

Applications are solicited for Grants-in-Aid of Research in mammalogy from funds made available by the Directors of the ASM. Applicants must be graduate students or upper-level undergraduates who are members of the ASM. Awards (maximum $1,500) will be made in support of any aspect of research except travel to meetings. Individuals may receive a career maximum of 2 awards. The ASM encourages foreign students, especially those in developing countries, to submit applications.

Applications should be submitted electronically through the ASM web site ( http://www.mammalsociety.org/applications/). All electronic applications must consist of 5 items: an application form, a description of the proposed research, a project budget, and 2 letters of recommendation, including 1 from the applicant's research advisor. See the ASM web site for more information. Contact C. William Kilpatrick (C-William.Kilpatrick@uvm.edu) if there are exceptional reasons why an application cannot be submitted electronically. Applications including letters of recommendation must be received by 1 March 2008.

LATIN AMERICAN STUDENT FIELD RESEARCH AWARDS

The Latin American Student Field Research Award is made annually to support field research projects by Latin Americans in Latin America. Eligible students must be citizens of Latin American countries (excluding Puerto Rico) and currently enrolled in a graduate program. Projects must be field-oriented investigations of natural history, conservation, ecology, systematics, wildlife biology, biogeography, or behavior. The selection committee, whose membership reflects these diverse fields and has field experience in Latin America, considers each of these areas of research equally important.

Application materials include a 2-page application and 2 letters of recommendation from persons familiar with your scientific background and current academic program, 1 of which must be from your graduate advisor. All application materials must be sent to the Committee Chair in files attached to email messages. Acceptable formats include pdf (preferred) and Word (doc and rtf files). Letters scanned in jpeg format are also acceptable. Although we encourage applications and letters in English, documents written in Spanish or Portuguese also are acceptable. Detailed instructions can be downloaded from the webpage of the American Society of Mammalogists—Latin American Committee ( http://www.mammalsociety.org/committees/index.asp).

To be considered, all application materials must be sent electronically to Dr. Enrique P. Lessa, Chair, eplessa@unm.edu (Phone: +598 2 525-8618 ext [7] 143) by APRIL 15.

The recipients will be announced at the Annual Banquet of the American Society of Mammalogists, but awardees need not be present to receive the award.

ASM-AIBS GRADUATE STUDENT PUBLIC POLICY INTERNSHIP

The American Society of Mammalogists (ASM) and the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) are pleased to announce the availability of an internship in the Washington, DC. AIBS Public Policy Office. The internship is open to ASM members who are currently enrolled in a graduate program and who are engaged in research that will contribute to our understanding and conservation of mammals. The internship is for 3 months during fall 2008, and carries a generous monthly stipend of $2000. Selection criteria include demonstrated interest in public policy process, strong communications skills, and excellent academic record.

The AIBS Public Policy Office focuses on science and science education public policy (e.g., federal R & D funding policy). Additional information about ASM and AIBS can be found on their respective websites ( www.mammalsociety.org,  www.aibs.org).

The ASM-AIBS Public Policy Internship is an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in public policy at the national level. By working with the AIBS Public Policy Office, the intern will learn how scientific societies, non-governmental organizations (NGO's), executive branch agencies (e.g., NSF, USGS), and the legislative branch interact to craft science policy. Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Applications must include 5 items: 1) A letter of application describing applicant's interest in science policy issues and detailing how this fellowship would enhance his/her professional goals. The letter should include the names of 2 individuals other than the applicant's advisor from whom recommendations can be requested. These individuals should be able to address the candidate's leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills. 2) A 2-page resume that demonstrates the applicant's leadership and communication experience. It should include the following items: education (including relevant law or policy courses), work experience, honors and awards, memberships, presentations, and publications. 3) A statement describing the importance of federal support for fundamental mammalian research (500 words maximum). The statement should draw on the applicant's own experience and/or research area, and should illustrate how the applicant would try to convince his/her own congressional delegation to support federal research funding programs/agencies. 4) A letter of support/recommendation from his/her academic advisor. 5) Copies of transcripts from each college or university from which applicant received a degree and/or is currently enrolled. If selected, official transcripts may be required.

Applicants are not required to be ASM members at the time of application but, if selected, must join the Society prior to starting the internship.

All application materials must be received by 1 May 2008 and should be sent to Dr. Alicia V. Linzey, Evaluation Committee Chair, 148 Double Brook Dr., Weaverville, NC 28787. Questions about the award can be addressed to Dr. Linzey at avlinzey@verizon.net.