ABOUT | HOW TO APPLY | SELECTION CRITERIA | UDE EVENTS | BE A MENTOR

About

The Undergraduate Diversity at Evolution (UDE) program sends undergraduate students to the annual Evolution meeting, the joint meeting of the Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE), the Society of Systematic Biologists (SSB), and the American Society of Naturalists (ASN). The program is co-sponsored by the participating societies. This year, the three societies will meet on June 20-24 in Athens, GA, USA. 

At the meeting, students will (i) present a poster, (ii) receive mentoring from graduate students, postdocs, and faculty, and (iii) participate in a career-oriented 'Undergraduate Futures in Evolutionary Biology' panel and discussion. Each selected awardee receives:

• Conference registration

• Round-trip airfare

• Accommodations (double occupancy)

• A meal stipend

• Ticket to the Super Social

How to Apply

The application deadline is January 20, 2025 and decisions will be announced in February. Applications are welcomed from all undergraduates, and the admissions goal is to create a diverse pool of students.

Applications consist of:

• Title, author line, and abstract of the poster to be presented by the undergraduate.
• A one-page statement of academic interests and career goals, including how attending the Evolution meeting will help meet these goals.
• A letter of recommendation from the undergraduate's research advisor. The letter should indicate whether the student plans to attend graduate school, medical school, or has other plans.

Submit the application using this form. The letter of recommendation must be submitted in PDF format via email to Dr. Vanessa Koelling (education@evolutionsociety.org).

Deadline: Monday, January 20, 2025
 
 

Selection Criteria

• Applications are not limited to students residing in the country hosting the Evolution meeting. 
• Participants will be selected to create a diverse cohort along multiple demographic axes.
• Students demonstrating a need for funds to attend will be given preference. Those students without access to travel funds from their institutions or their research advisor's research budget will be chosen over those who have significant support.
• Students must be registered undergraduates or very recent graduates (i.e., having finished classes during the winter or spring quarter/semester before the meeting).
• Students preparing to attend graduate school in ecology, evolutionary biology, or related fields will be given priority over students planning to attend medical school.

All awardees will be required to attend the entire meeting to maximize their participation.

Previous award recipients are not eligible to receive the award again.

An awardee who requires a visa to travel to the meeting location (Athens, GA) may be unable to obtain one in time for the 2025 meeting. In this case, the awardee will be required to defer their participation to the 2026 meeting.

Awardees will make travel arrangements as communicated to them by email from the Education and Outreach Committee, and they will be expected to attend all UDE events (see below). 
 
 

Undergraduate Events at Evolution 2025

The Undergraduate Diversity at Evolution program will host three conference events that all UDE recipients will be expected to attend. More information will be available during conference registration.

• Undergraduate Professional Development Workshop*
• A "welcome" event during the opening reception
• A social event during the meeting (e.g., ice cream social)

*The Professional Development event is open to ANY attending undergraduates or post-baccalaureates, regardless of award status/eligibility, but we kindly request you sign up in advance.
 
 

Volunteer as a Mentor

We are also looking for graduate students, postdocs and faculty members who would like to serve as mentors to the undergraduate awardees during the meeting. Mentors meet with pairs of students and attend talks with them, introduce them to colleagues, network and generally make the meeting a welcoming place for them. Mentoring is available to non-awardee students as well, depending on how many mentors sign up. Although costs are not covered for mentors, it is a rewarding experience. Those interested in serving as a mentor can indicate this during meeting registration. Questions may be directed to Dr. Richard Kliman (education@evolutionsociety.org). NOTE: Mentors need to be available to have lunch with their mentees on either the first or second full day of the meeting.