Research Mentoring-Pair Travel Award

Purpose

The Research Mentoring-Pair Travel Award Program (RMPTA) is designed to foster the professional development of students and emerging scientists who have expressed an interest in research careers in communication sciences and disorders. RMPTA is given in conjunction with the Research Symposium held at the annual ASHA Convention. Both RMPTA and the Symposium are co-sponsored by ASHA and the NIDCD, through an R13 grant awarded to ASHA.

Up to five travel awards of $1,000 each will be granted to eligible mentor-protégé pairs (protégé=$750; mentor=$250). Early-rate Convention registration fees will also be covered for both the protégé and mentor. This award is intended to help defray the cost of attending the Symposium.

Eligibility

Protégés must be (a) a current student at the master's, AuD, or PhD level, (b) a postdoctoral fellow, (c) a junior level faculty member (less than six years teaching/research experience in a tenure-track position or below the level of associate professor).

Special consideration will be given to individuals whose research or research interests are (a) relevant to the current year's Symposium topic, (b) interdisciplinary in nature, (c) translational in nature, or (d) related to issues of cultural or linguistic diversity.

Protégés must arrange to be mentored by an experienced investigator affiliated with an academic or clinical research environment.

View previous RMPTA recipients.

Convention Activities

• The 2012 ASHA Convention will be held from November 15–17, 2012, in Atlanta, Georgia. Register for the Convention.
• Attend the Research Symposium on Saturday, November 17, 2012.

How to Apply

• Both protégés and mentors will each need to complete a separate RMPTA online application form (link coming soon).
• Each protégé is responsible for submitting electronic copies of the following five application packet items as PDFs:
  1. Curriculum vitae, resume or narrative biographical sketch detailing educational, clinical, and research experiences. Save this document as "your name_RMPTA_CV".
  2. 1,000 word essay stating current research interests and activities, how attendance at this meeting could serve to enhance personal research career goals, and why this mentor-protégé team is an appropriate match and will facilitate the goals of the protégé. Save this document as "your name_RMPTA_Essay".
  3. Mentoring plan outlining the mentor-protégé relationship both during and after the Symposium. Save this document as "your name_RMPTA_Plan".
  4. Letter of support from the mentor that acknowledges their agreement to the mentoring plan. Save this document as "your name_RMPTA_Letter".
  5. Mentor's current curriculum vitae. Save this document as "your name_RMPTA_mentor_CV".
• Please submit your application materials via the online application system (link coming soon).
• Deadline for receipt of the completed application packet is 11:59 p.m. Saturday, June 30, 2012.
• Applicants will be notified of the status of their application in August 2012.
• Awards will be disbursed post-Convention.

Questions? Please refer to the RMPTA FAQs. Still have questions? Contact ASHA's Academic Affairs and Research Education Unit at research@asha.org.