Libbie H. Hyman Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship, in memory of Libbie H. Hyman, one of America’s foremost invertebrate zoologists, provides assistance to students to take courses or to pursue research on invertebrates at a marine, freshwater, or terrestrial field station. The Hyman Grant is intended to help support a first meaningful field-station experience for a first- or second-year graduate student, or an advanced undergraduate.

ELIGIBILITY and AWARD PARAMETERS:

• Awards are limited to undergraduates or graduate students currently enrolled in degree programs; priority will be given to advanced undergraduates or early graduate students. Previous recipients of this scholarship are not eligible unless they encountered exceptional circumstances regarding the use of their award and the scholarship committee chair has specifically approved their re-eligibility.
• Applicants do NOT need to be members of SICB.
• Funds must be used to support coursework or research on invertebrates at a field station.
• Most awards are in the range of $1000-$5000. When preparing your application, include a complete and detailed budget, even if it exceeds $5000.
• Priority will be given to projects that represent the first significant field station experience for a student. We advise applicants to address in their materials how their proposed project would work towards this goal.
• This award supports in-person field station experiences; funds are not transferrable to alternative activities. In the event that a scholarship recipient is unable to pursue the activities detailed in their proposal (e.g., due to unforeseen travel restrictions, course cancellation, or health issues) the recipient must inform the scholarship committee, which will review each case individually. If it is determined that the recipient will not be able to use the funds for an eligible experience, the funds will be retained by SICB and the recipient will be allowed to apply in future funding cycles (subject to all other eligibility requirements).
• Awardees are expected to produce a brief report on their experiences, which will be published in the SICB DIZ newsletter. You can find examples of previously funded projects (both research and coursework) in past SICB DIZ newsletters.

How to apply: Read the instructions carefully, fill in the online application form, and upload transcripts as directed. Letters of recommendation will be uploaded directly by the recommenders. Recommenders will NOT automatically receive a link from the system; it is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that letters of recommendation are submitted to the website, with the correct student information, by the deadline.

GUIDELINES FOR SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL

• Applications and letters of recommendation must be submitted electronically following the instructions and using the forms provided at this website.
• Complete applications consist of a proposal (see forms below), two letters of reference from faculty members, and copies of undergraduate and (if applicable) graduate transcripts. [Graduate student applicants must submit transcripts from graduate AND undergraduate programs]. All materials, including both letters of reference, must be received by the deadline in order for the application to be considered.
• The student should write the proposal, preferably with the advice of their major professor. However, the major professor should not do the writing, since this will defeat an important part of the process. The text of the proposal should indicate why this field station research or coursework is important to the student’s career goals and what they hope to gain from the experience.
• A form for the proposal is available on this page. You must use this form to submit your application. If you experience problems using the form, contact the webmaster by email.
• The form has fields for requested information. You must fill in all fields unless noted otherwise. The electronic submittal system will not accept any empty fields! Limits of field length apply.
• Please proofread your application before you submit it.
• Complete the online form, proofread it again, and submit it via the web to SICB.
• Copies of official or unofficial undergraduate and graduate transcripts should be combined into a SINGLE PDF file no more than 2MB in size. The file must be uploaded as part of the application process.
• Letters of recommendation must be submitted via a separate online form at https://sicb.burkclients.com/grants/hyman/hymanletterform.php. It is critical that each recommender enters the exact email address that the applicant has used in the application. We use an automated system to attach the letters to the appropriate application using the submitted email address information. If the email addresses do not match, the letter of support will not be attached to the application and the application will not be complete.
• It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that letters of recommendation are submitted to the website, with the correct student information, by the deadline. Applicants will receive an email notification when each letter of support has been submitted.
• Note that recommenders will not automatically receive the link to upload letters. Applicants, please make sure to get the upload link to your letter writers with enough time to submit the letter.
• The closing date for the receipt of applications (including transcripts) AND supporting letters will be February 15, 2025. Notification of awards will occur by: March 17, 2025