Students

Scholarships, Awards & Recognition

Take advantage of several opportunities to receive recognition for your work as a student in the microscopy and microanalysis field. Find a brief description of all student scholarships, awards and recognition below, and follow the links for more information!


MSA Undergraduate Research Scholarships

The Microscopy Society of America (MSA) provides scholarships to undergraduates who conduct research using microscopy and microanalysis techniques during their junior and senior years. Matching resources in the form of access to specimen preparation equipment and instrument time are expected to be provided by the undergraduate's advisor, department or institution. For more information, click here: https://microscopy.org/awards/scholarship.cfm

MSA Student Council Strategic Initiative Travel Award

In partnership with MSA, the MSA Student Council has launched a new Strategic Initiative to fund student travel to Local Affiliated Society meetings or other microscopy-related workshops outside of our annual Microscopy and Microanalysis conference. The goal of this new initiative is to provide students with more opportunities to engage with the broader MSA community year-round as well as to make more students aware of ongoing opportunities for professional development that are offered through the Student Council.

Award recipients will be reimbursed up to $500 for travel to microscopy-related meetings and up to $2500 for workshops.

If you are interested in applying for this funding, please click here to complete the brief application form. To learn more about your Local Affiliated Society, including upcoming meetings, workshops, and other events, please visit the MSA webpage linked here. Funding will be awarded on a rolling basis year-round, and submissions are welcome at any time.

Students selected to receive this travel funding will serve as ambassadors for the MSA Student Council to these local meetings. The Student Council will supply a few brief slides as well as handouts for students to distribute at these meetings.

This funding is designed specially to assist students from traditionally underrepresented or underserved communities or those with demonstrated financial need; however, the only formal requirement for funding eligibility is to be a registered student member of MSA, and all students are welcomed and encouraged to apply.

For further information contact: studentcouncil@microscopy.org.

Microscopy & Microanalysis (M&M) Meeting

M&M Student Scholar Awards

Deadline: M&M paper submission (mid- to late-February)
These awards are a joint effort with MSA's sister society, the Microanalysis Society (MAS), and are judged on the quality of the two-page proceeding papers submitted to the M&M meeting. Between the two societies, approximately 30 of 200 annual student submissions are given the award. The award package provides complimentary registration to the M&M meeting, travel and lodging reimbursement up to $1,000, and an invitation to the Presidents' reception. Awardees are recognized during the awards portion of the opening plenary session on Monday. For more details, click here: https://microscopy.org/awards/conference.cfm#meeting

MSA Student Poster Awards

Deadline: M&M paper submission (mid- to late-February)
Students presenting posters at the M&M meeting are eligible for the Society's Student Poster Awards, presented daily at the close of the poster session (M-W: 5 pm; Th: noon). Cash awards are presented for first- ($250) and second-place ($150) posters presented that day in each of the three symposium categories: biological sciences applications (B); physical sciences applications (P); and instrumentation and technique (A) – six awards daily, twenty-four in all. Awards are given on the basis of the technical quality of the poster, and the judges' interaction with the student presenter. Be sure to be at your poster when the judges pass through your poster area!

Diatome Poster Award (open to all M&M registrants)

Deadline: M&M paper submission (mid- to late-February)*
Does your work involve diamond knife sectioning (AKA ultramicrotomy)? MSA Sustaining Member Diatome offers a grand prize and two runner-up prizes for posters illustrating the best use of this technology. First prize is a trip-for-two to Switzerland; runners up receive Swiss watches!
*Post-deadline posters (deadline: mid- to late-June) are eligible for Diatome Awards