TRAVEL FELLOWSHIPS
Links in this page: Sponsor | Funding Information | Travel Fellowship Application Overview | Maximum Awards and Amounts | Eligibility Requirements | Application Process | Eligible Expenses | Notification | Contacts
Sponsors



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Funding Information
ISCB, through funding provided by the National Science Foundation, the International Society for Computational Biology, and the Great Lakes Bioinformatics Consortium are pleased to offer travel fellowships for students to attend GLBIO 2023 in Montreal, Quebec. Students from the United States, Canada, and other countries are encouraged to apply but funding sources for Travel Fellowships are very limited and we regret that we are not able to fund all applicants. The conference organizers are committed to providing support to as many eligible applicants as possible. Travel Fellowship consideration is based on criteria listed below.
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Travel Fellowship Application Overview
- Applicant must be a current student (high school, undergraduate or graduate) to submit an application.
- All applicants must attend all three (3) conference days and secure additional funding from other sources in order to be able to cover the full costs of attending the conference.
- The deadline to submit a fellowship application is March 27, 2023, by 11:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time. No exceptions will be made.
Travel Fellowship Key Dates
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March 27, 2023
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Travel Fellowship Application Deadline (11pm Eastern Daylight Time)
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April 7, 2023
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Travel Fellowship Acceptance Notification
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April 12, 2023
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Early Registration Deadline (11:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time)
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Maximum Award Amounts
The maximum fellowship award is $500 USD. Please note that funded applicants will only be able to cover approximately 50% of the expense of travel and registration fees with these fellowship amounts. Thus all applicants must seek and secure additional funding sources (e.g., from your home institution/university, or grant funding) and a letter regarding this additional funding is required in PDF format as part of your application.
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Eligibility Requirements
- You are a student High School or registered in an undergraduate or graduate degree program. Postdocs and Professionals DO NOT qualify. Evidence of your student status must be presented to the onsite registration desk upon check-in at the conference.
- You will attend all three days of the conference, with arrival no later than the morning of May 16 and departure no earlier than the afternoon of May 18, and will sign in at the registration desk on each of these mornings to verify your attendance
- Applicant must be prepared to register for GLBIO 2023 by the early registration deadline of April 12, 2023. If attendance at the conference is dependent on receipt of travel fellowship funds, please do not register until after the notification of travel fellowship funding. Any funded applicant failing to register for the conference by the early registration deadline of April 12, 2023 will automatically forfeit the funds so that another applicant can be awarded from among the original pool of applicants.
- You have other funding resources to cover costs not met by an ISCB travel fellowship award. Applicant must be able to pay all expenses of attending the conference up front, including conference registration fee (as noted above), travel, accommodations and meals. Travel Fellowship funding will be provided as a reimbursement as a check payable in USD and mailed to the participant approximately 6-8 weeks after the conference.
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Application Process
Please complete the application form:
No application will be accepted after the deadline of March 27, 2023. Special consideration will be given to first-time GLBIO attendees who are not necessarily presenting work at the conference, women, undergraduate or high school students, underrepresented minorities, or students with disabilities.
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Eligible Expenses
Eligible expenses toward travel fellowship funds include conference registration, transportation (air on a U.S. Flag air carrier or land transportation from home region to conference city), and a maximum of 250 USD of hotel room and occupancy tax charges. In order to receive the full-awarded amount, receipts for registration, transportation and hotel accommodations are required that equal or exceed the awarded amount. Conference registration fee is reimbursable at the early registration pricing only; registration fees to attend pre-conference events are not reimbursable expenses.
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Notification
Applicants will be notified no later than April 7, 2023 of the funding status. In some cases applicants may be notified they are on a wait list for funding. Any wait listed applicant that is eventually awarded funds will be offered the opportunity to register at the early registration rate, therefore, please do not register for the conference if your attendance is fully dependent on being awarded a travel fellowship as any cancellation of an applicant's registration will be subject to the full regular registration cancellation policy.
Funded applicants will be required to present evidence of their eligibility status (such as student identification card) when signing in daily to record their attendance. In all cases, funds will be mailed to funded applicants after the conference per the details noted in Eligibility Requirements above.
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Contacts
Questions regarding travel fellowships should be addressed to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The information on this page is subject to change without notice, and all changed information will be considered final for the purposes of awarding and funding GLBIO 2023 Travel Fellowships.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
The Great Lakes Bioinformatics Consortium is pleased to announce a call for Volunteer Student Support Staff for its 15th Great Lakes Bioinformatics Conference (an official conference of the International Society for Computational Biology) (GLBIO 2023), the conference will be held May 15-18, 2023 at McGill University in Montreal, Canada.
The conference provides an interdisciplinary forum for the discussion of research findings and methods, and development of long-term relationships and networking opportunities, for researchers within the region, as well as from around the world.
As a member of the Volunteer Student Support Staff, you will receive valuable first-hand experience at an academic association conference, a certificate of appreciation as well as a full refund on your registration once your obligations are complete. Please review the below volunteer requirements:
- Attend a volunteer meeting before the conference to ensure you are prepared for all volunteer responsibilities - likely Sunday, May 14th in the evening
- Complete all assigned shifts
- You will be notified of your shifts in advance of the conference and are required to sign and return in acknowledgement
- Please review the list of possible assignments below:
- Registration:
- Handing out name badges, processing of invoices and assisting with on-site registration
- Educational sessions:
- Check in with the session leader at the beginning of the session and identify yourself as the volunteer to assist in that session
- Checking badges for entrance to session rooms
- Counting attendees in each educational session
- Monitor session rooms, alerting conference manager of any AV or emergency needs during session
- Moderate the online Q&A and chat room for our virtual audience and be the in-person voice for the virtual audience during any Q&A sessions
- Other conference opportunities:
- Numbering poster boards to include monitoring hanging up and taking down of poster boards by presenters
- Assist attendees in locating various events throughout the conference
- Answer questions about the scientific program and giving directions within the venue
Only a small number of students will be selected to participate on this team. Apply today by completing the application online at https://forms.gle/hLPmkjQU7s6mVkUz9 by March 27, 2023.
Thank you,

Bel Hanson
GLBIO Conference Manager
International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB)
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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GLBIO 2023 Health and Safety Protocols
We encourage you to monitor this page to stay abreast of the latest updates on health and safety protocols for GLBIO 2023. ISCB reserves the right to alter these protocols as appropriate at any time.
The safety of conference participants is ISCB’s top priority, participants should be aware that, while ISCB will make every effort to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission on-site, it is possible that attendees will come in contact with people in airports, hotels, and around the conference facility who could potentially carry the virus, which is why ISCB is requiring attendees to be fully vaccinated with the minimal protection against COVID-19 for their own safety, as well as the safety of others.
Entry into Canada may require measures beyond those that are stated by ISCB to gain access to the country. As ISCB is required to abide by Canadian entry requirements, please be sure to consult the Government of Canada Website.
Participants of GLBIO 2023 understand that it is their responsibility to review and ensure compliance with any stated country guidelines both for coming into Canada and departing Canada to return to their country of origin. Costs associated with travel are the responsibility of the participant.
For the purposes of right of entry to GLBIO 2023, a person must have the minimal protection against COVID-19. This is defined as:
- Two weeks post a full course of immunization with any vaccine that has been authorized by the World Health Organization (WHO). The product may be either fully authorized or authorized under an emergency use authorization or equivalent at the time of travel (see list of eligible vaccines - {https://covid19.trackvaccines.org/agency/who/} ).
- Negative test to COVID-19 following recent (four - six month) diagnosis
Vaccination with a vaccine that is not included on the WHO website as authorized will not be accepted.
For those unable to travel or meet the vaccination requirement, ISCB offers several virtual meeting registration options. ISCB believes the most effective way to ensure the safety of oneself is for them to be vaccinated and boosted if eligible and able against COVID-19.
How will vaccinations be verified?
Participants electing to attend in-person will be asked to self-attest during the registration process confirming they meet the entry requirements.
Will ISCB require proof of a negative COVID test upon arrival?
While ISCB will not require proof of a negative COVID test prior to arrival onsite, ISCB, however, strongly encourages all in-person participants to test for infection prior to departing for the conference. As testing times vary world-wide, our suggested test period is no more than 48 hours from the departure of your home.
On-Site Safety Measures
Public health guidance on preventing the transmission of COVID-19 continues to evolve, and ISCB will base its on-site protocols on the latest guidance.
We would encourage attendees to bring their own test kits and test prior to attending the meeting and at regular frequency during the meeting to reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19. We can assist attendees who have no access to tests. ISCB will provide the locations of local retail stores where tests can be purchased and will have a limited number of tests at the convention center for purchase by the attendee.
Sanitization
Even though the science now shows that COVID-19 transmission is less likely to occur from touching surfaces touched by multiple persons (i.e., lecterns), staff will clean these regularly to promote healthy sanitation overall. The convention center will also have sanitization stations throughout the venue.
Protective Masks
The wearing of protective masks is not required, they are strongly encouraged. ISCB reserves the right to alter this protocol as appropriate at any time. Participants are welcome to bring their own mask of choice and wear it if they wish. ISCB will have a limited supply of masks available onsite for those who wish to wear a mask.
Symptom Development While Onsite
On-site participants must agree that if they become symptomatic, they will immediately get tested for COVID-19 and cease in-person participation in the meeting and all related events. Individuals who test positive will not be permitted to continue attending the meeting in-person until a negative test is produced.
COVID-19 Testing
ISCB will not have a testing facility onsite at the conference location. ISCB will have self-administered rapid antigen tests (supply limited) available at the registration desk for those who may wish to test during the conference. If you are onsite and experiencing symptoms, please contact ISCB (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.); we will bring a test to your hotel.
ISCB strongly encourages participants to bring their own testing kits if they wish to test throughout the conference.
What happens if I test positive onsite?
Participants who test positive for COVID-19 onsite, must follow the Government of Canada's COVID-19 rules. They will not be allowed to attend sessions in-person until a negative test can be produced, although they will still have access to the virtual platform.
Information on individuals who test positive, including the name of the individual testing positive and the session in which the individual participated, will be provided to staff overseeing the COVID-19 testing and response efforts. This will enable staff to follow up with these individuals to provide information on policies for isolating while on site, facilitate safe and comfortable quarantine arrangements, and provide information on local health care options as needed. While aggregate information about the number of positive cases will be made available to other attendees, the identity of individuals who test positive will be kept confidential.
Unfortunately, a formal contact tracing system is not available. ISCB will, however, make aggregate data available to attendees via the conference app about the number of positive cases reported at the meeting so they can make informed decisions about their participation. The identity of individuals who test positive will be kept strictly confidential.
COVAC GLOBAL
While ISCB is taking numerous precautions to alleviate the risk to meeting attendees, the possibility of testing positive during the meeting, and therefore may need to quarantine in place per the Government of Canada guidelines may factor into the decision to attend the conference. To help address these concerns, ISCB recommends COVAC GLOBAL, a leading provider of medical evacuation services, to offer in-person attendees the option to purchase its COVID-19 Evacuation and Repatriation service. For those who purchase this service in advance, COVAC GLOBAL will arrange for medical transport – via private jet – back to your home to complete your quarantine at no additional expense, should you be diagnosed with COVID-19 while at the conference.
Conference Refund Policy
ISCB understands the continued volatility of the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis. In the event a registered participant cannot travel due to a positive test result prior to departing for the conference, ISCB will partially refund the participants registration fee to still allow the participant access to the virtual platform. Participants who are still unable to participate in the conference virtually, may request a full refund. Full refund requests must be made prior to the start of the conference (May 15) and be accompanied by positive COVID-19 testing documentation. ISCB will not accept refund requests after 12:00 PM EDT, May 15, 2023.
ISCB COVID-19 Waiver
Upon registration to the conference, ISCB will require all in-person participants to sign the following waiver:
I understand that travel and gathering involves risk of sickness, including sickness from COVID-19. I (and on behalf of my guest(s)) waive and release ISCB and its sponsors and exhibitors, and their employees and agents, from and against claims, liabilities and expenses arising from injury, sickness or death from contraction or spread of COVID-19 or other communicable disease due to travel to or attendance at an event sponsored by ISCB.
I will take necessary precautions while at the event including, but not limited to, engaging in appropriate social distancing, wearing a mask when requested and/or required, minimize face touching, frequently washing hands and avoiding risky environments such as overcrowded bars or restaurants. I agree to not attend any GLBIO event if I feel ill or had recent exposure to a COVID-19 case. This waiver and release is binding on me.