What is the Bond & Bradley Postdoc Travel Award?
Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, the Bond & Bradley Postdoc Travel Award is awarded to qualifying postdocs to contribute to travel expenses for active conference participation in the US and abroad. Qualifying postdocs must meet the following minimum requirements:
- Received notification that they will be actively participating in the conference. This would include, but is not limited to, acceptance to present a poster or give on oral talk, serve as a session chair or organize the meeting.
These travel awards are made possible by a generous donation from Drs. Judith S. Bond and S. Gaylen Bradley to Postdoctoral Society at Penn State College of Medicine. The endowment created by this donation will provide, in perpetuity, the financial support for these awards. The Postdoctoral Society sincerely acknowledges the kind support from Drs. Judith S. Bond and S. Gaylen Bradley. Each award will be in the amount of $500 and will be offered three times per calendar year.
Eligibility
- All postdocs may apply for this travel award.
- Active participation (presenting an oral talk or poster, chairing a session or panel, etc.) at an academic conference is required, and proof of acceptance is required with this application.
- Postdocs may apply for this award up to one award cycle before participating in the conference event, or during the cycle of participation.
- Only one application per conference event/presentation is permitted.
- Postdocs may apply for this award as many times as they like during their postdoc career at Penn State College of Medicine/Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, but may only receive the award once.
Applicants for the Bond & Bradley Postdoc Travel Award are judged by a selection committee that will consist of faculty members and previous Bond & Bradley Postdoc Travel Awardees.
If the applicant is selected to receive an award, the awardee must agree to serve on the selection committee during an upcoming award cycle.
Application Deadlines
Cycle |
Applications Open |
Application Deadline |
Eligible Conference Dates(Opening day of conference) |
Fall and Winter |
July 1 |
July 31 |
October 1 – December 31 |
Spring |
October 1 |
October 31 |
January 1 – April 30 |
Summer |
February 1 |
February 28 |
May 1 – August 31 |
How To Apply
STEP 1: Complete your application by clicking here.
You will be required to upload the following 4 documents in order to submit your application. All applications must be received by 11:59 PM on the due date.
We strongly recommend reviewing the sample Rubric available here. Please tailor your CV to particularly include sections that pertain to the evaluation criteria, especially activities that were performed during your current postdoc.
(A) Cover Letter– This letter, written by you, will be used to evaluate your aspirations as a postdoc in your current position and your future career goals.
Required elements of the cover letter:
i) Name, location, and dates of the conference.
ii) Describe the nature of your participation in this conference, and why this conference is important for forwarding your science.
iii) Describe the importance of this conference to your professional development as a postdoc. For example, networking opportunities that are uniquely available at this conference, conference-sponsored career/professional development workshops, etc…
(B) Current CV– This should include details of your publication history, presentations you have given in the past, service to the scientific and/ or postdoc community, mentoring activities, and grants/ awards or other recognition you have received for the work you have done as a postdoc. Although you can include details from prior postdoc positions, the reviewers will pay particular attention to the work you have done as a Penn State postdoc. Please indicate which accolades come from the work you have done in your current postdoc position.
(C) Abstract– The abstract for which you have been selected to present (in oral or poster format) is required for review. Please be sure to include title and complete author/affiliation information.
(D) Acceptance Letter– Create a pdf of the email (or other correspondence) from the Conference you are attending that confirms your acceptance and participation in the meeting. NOTE: If you have submitted an Abstract but not yet received notification of your acceptance to the meeting, please submit a copy of the confirmation that you Abstract has been received. This will allow your application to be reviewed and, if selected as an awardee, you will be required to provide proof of participation prior to receiving your award.
STEP 2: Have your faculty advisor submit a letter of recommendation on your behalf to COMpostdocs@pennstatehealth.psu.edu.
Letters of recommendation must be received by 11:59 PM on the due date.