The American Livebearer Association is pleased to announce the Vern Parish Award for outstanding college and graduate student research in the area of livebearers. Faculty members are encouraged to nominate students conducting research on livebearers. Digital submissions are preferred but paper applications will be accepted. Please submit: a Project Title, a letter of nomination from the faculty sponsor, the student's curriculum vitae and the student’s research statement. These should be submitted so as to be received by April 1st, 2013, to:    

 

earl.blewett@okstate.edu

 

or            

 

Earl Blewett, Ph.D

Biochemistry & Microbiology

Oklahoma State University – Center for Health Sciences

1111 West 17^th Street

Tulsa, OK 74107

 

The award ($1,500 USD minimum) will be announced at the ALA Convention in Grand Rapids, MI April 25 - 28. For questions, please contact The Vern Parish Chairman, Earl Blewett at earl.blewett@okstate.edu or call (918) 561-8405

The VPF Committee consists of two co-chairs and a panel of academic advisers. The advisory panel members are ichthyologists with strong involvement in research with livebearing fishes and include some previous recipients of the VPF Award. The applications will be reviewed by 3 members of this advisory panel. Their recommendations will be presented to the ALA Board of Directors who will make the final decision.

The advisory panel will consider the following criteria when evaluating the applications for scientific merit:

 1. Significance. Does this study address an important problem? If the aims of the

application are achieved, how will scientific knowledge or clinical practice be advanced?

What will be the effect of these studies on the concepts, methods, technologies,

treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field?

 

2. Approach. Does the student include a reasonable research statement? Is the project feasible in the time frame. Is the budget appropriate?

 

3. Student Background. Has the student experience in this area? Has the student already made progress in this area?

 

4. Sponsor and Environment . Does the sponsor have the expertise to train the student and help the student complete the project? Does the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Do the proposed studies benefit from unique features of the scientific environment, or subject populations, or employ useful collaborative arrangements (sponsors)?

 

The student’s research statement and the letter of nomination from the faculty sponsor should address these areas.

Please NOTE! Only one VPF Award application will be accepted per sponsor. When multiple students from the same sponsor wish to apply, we suggest each student prepare an application. The sponsor can then select the best application and forward it to the VPF. This change was necessary since in recent years, multiple applications have been received from students with the same sponsor. While we appreciate and encourage the interest, it is overwhelming our reviewer pool.