The 2006 Goldschmidt Conference in Melbourne, Australia will be a first-tier convergence of the best cutting-edge geochemical research in the world, but will be out of the affordable range of many bright and dedicated young professionals in US graduate programs. Costs for airfare to Melbourne and registration are considerable, and much higher than those for recent Goldschmidt conferences abroad. This travel assistance program is intended to partially mitigate Melbourne Goldschmidt travel costs to US graduate students who wish to present the results of their own research at this world-class professional venue. The graduate student travel assistance program outlined in this proposal will solicit applications from graduate students (Masters and Ph.D. candidates) at universities in the US and its territories. Applicants must provide a biographical summary and a short proposal describing the broader impacts of their research, a copy of their submitted Goldschmidt abstract (with assigned abstract number), and a budget justification that includes a statement of need. Applications will be reviewed by two panels that include the PI and the senior personnel, who will assess each application on the basis of merit and financial need. This travel assistance program will provide awards of up to $1,000 toward travel and attendance costs associated with the 2006 V. M. Goldschmidt Conference. No funds are requested to support indirect costs, PI or senior personnel, materials and supplies, or advertising expenses. Broader Impacts It is expected that at least thirty graduate students will be awarded funds through this program. For many young scientists seeking to enter the professional stage, it is through conferences such as Goldschmidt that they encounter their first major opportunities to network with future mentors, employers, and colleagues. The Goldschmidt meetings are the largest dedicated geochemistry conferences held on a regular basis, and benefit from being both popular and focused. At such a meeting young graduate students can survey a wide range of specialties, hear talks by the major players in their chosen fields, and meet colleagues with whom they will interact for the remainder of their careers. To a young scientist seeking to make her reputation, the broader impacts of a meeting like Goldschmidt can be profound. Oral and poster sessions at a major meeting gather the most active research minds at the forefront of a specialty. Students attending these sessions learn not only where the frontier of a discipline lies, but also where the current trends of investigation are heading, and how their own research fits into the broader perspective. In addition to the vigorous intellectual exercises of talks, posters and discussions with authors, students in the geological sciences can often gain immense educational benefit from visiting classic or well-known field sites near the conference venue. In the case of Melbourne, students attending from the US will be brought into relatively close proximity to a number of world-class geologic settings and environments. Through conference-sponsored field trips, short courses, and extramural excursions, students will have to opportunity to experience directly some of the planets most intriguing geologic and geochemical features, as well as a different culture and way of life. In many ways, a foreign conference such as Goldschmidt is an ideal educational opportunity, and this travel assistance program hopes to make that opportunity possible for some of the best and brightest apprentice scientists in our country.
