Each year, the Meteoritical Society and its generous sponsors support member travel to the annual meeting through various endowment funds and external awards. Typically, at least ~$80,000 is available for travel support each year. In 2022, more than ~$107,000 was awarded to 87 members to support their travel to the annual meeting in Glasgow, Scotland.
Descriptions and eligibility requirements of travel awards
The Barringer Crater Company Travel Award (variable amounts) supports travel for graduate and undergraduate students of all nationalities. Applicants must be members of The Meteoritical Society.
The Brian Mason Awards (two awards for $1500), sponsored by the International Meteorite Collectors Association (IMCA) supports travel for students of all nationalities. If selected for this award, the student must submit a ~2500-word popular article based on his/her research for publication in Meteorite Times and an essay for IMCA's newsletter, Insights. Applicants must be members of The Meteoritical Society.
The Macovich Collection Travel Award (variable amounts), sponsored by Darryl Pitt, supports travel for graduate and undergraduate students of all nationalities. Applicants must also be members of The Meteoritical Society.
The Planetary Studies Foundation Award (two awards for $1000) supports travel for students from all nationalities.
The NASA Planetary Sciences Division Travel Grants (variable amounts) supports travel for students of all nationalities enrolled in programs at U.S. institutions.
The O. Richard Norton Fund (variable amounts) supports travel for students and early career scientists within five years of PhD of all nationalities. This fund was established in 2017 to honor the memory of science author and public educator O. Richard Norton, and is supported by John H. and Dorothy Norton Kashuba. The award recipients must be members of the Society and must be first authors on a paper or poster. Preference will be given to Early Career Researchers.
The Elsevier Travel Award (variable amounts) supports travel for early career scientists within five years of PhD of all nationalities. Applicants must be members of The Meteoritical Society.
The Travel for International Members (TIM) Fund (variable amounts) supports travel for Society members from countries with limited financial resources. Applications for these funds must be accompanied by a letter explaining the need for the funds, information about any prior awards from the Society, and a budget for this travel. The TIM awards, established by Tim Swindle, are based on the perceived merit of the contribution of the applicant to the Annual Meeting and to the field of meteoritics. Priority will be given to applicants who have not previously received funds from the Society, although second applications may be considered.
The Meteoritical Society Travel Awards (variable amounts) supports travel for early career scientists from all nationalities. Early career is defined as anyone who is within 10 years of completing their PhD or last degree. Applicants must also be members of The Meteoritical Society.
The David B. Gheesling Trust Award (two awards for $2500) was established to promote Dave Gheesling’s love for the planetary sciences, particularly his fondness for space exploration. The Trust supports one travel award for a qualified student from a developing country and a second award for a qualified student studying in the United States. The students selected for these awards must submit a short article based on his or her specific area of research and passion for that research to be published in the IMCA’s newsletter. Additionally, the candidate will provide a short video submission at the conclusion of the conference detailing what it meant to attend the event.
The Maine Mineral and Gem Museum Award ($1500) supports travel for students from all nationalities.