Trainee Travel Grants Share Vanderbilt Research Worldwide
By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator
Since the program began in Fall of 2021, 70 trainee travel grants have been awarded across 13 labs in the departments of Biological Sciences, Earth and Environmental Sciences, and Anthropology. These awards have primarily gone to graduate students (49), though postdoctoral researchers (14) and undergraduates have also benefited (7).
Bringing Vanderbilt to the Nation’s Biggest Scientific Meetings
The most common destination? The annual Evolution conference (Society for the Study of Evolution). More than a dozen trainees have traveled to Evolution meetings in Cleveland, Albuquerque, and Montreal to present research ranging from genetic conflict to paleoecology. A handful will also be attending the 2025 conference in Athens, GA.
Other frequent domestic destinations include:
- The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB)
- The Geological Society of America (GSA)
- The Fungal Genetics Conference
- The American Association of Biological Anthropologists
These gatherings provide essential opportunities for young researchers to network, build visibility, and receive feedback from leaders in their fields.
In several cases, travel grants have supported immersive training experiences beyond traditional conferences. Nadir Dbouk and Owen Hale participated in Marine Biological Lab workshops in Woods Hole, MA. Alejandro Prieto attended the Analytical Paleobiology School in Germany.
Hosting and Highlighting Science at ISEMPH
In 2025, Vanderbilt will host the International Society for Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health (ISEMPH) meeting, offering a unique opportunity for trainees to engage with cutting-edge researchers without traveling far. More than a dozen trainees have already registered to present at ISEMPH 2025 in Nashville, with sessions planned on cancer evolution, evolutionary tradeoffs, and infectious disease dynamics.
Going Global: Sharing Research Across Borders
In addition to national conferences, travel grants have enabled international participation across three continents. The Canadian Evolution meeting was especially popular, but others have traveled to:
- Austria (Fungal Genetics)
- Denmark (Cultural Evolution Society)
- Czech Republic (International Biogeography Society)
- The United Kingdom (Paleontological Association and ISEMPH)
- Italy (Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution)
- Spain (European Society for Evolutionary Biology)
- Thailand (International Paleontological Congress)
Looking Ahead
As the Evolutionary Studies Initiative continues to grow, so too does its support for the next generation of evolutionary scientists. These travel grants not only allow trainees to share their research, they also empower them to shape the future of science, one conference at a time.
Below are three maps (US, Europe, and world) with dot size roughly correlating to number of visits to that area.