SACNAS - Student Programs

MySACNAS

Student Programs

SACNAS’ mission places special emphasis on the needs of new and developing scientists; community/Tribal college, undergraduate, and graduate students represent the next generation of science researchers, educators, administrators, and policy leaders. Student programs are aimed at providing support, information, mentorship, and resources to assist postsecondary students in their educational and career development.

SACNAS Student Year-round Programs

SACNAS Chapters

Become actively involved in SACNAS throughout the academic year as part of a SACNAS Chapter—develop peer-to-peer networks, develop leadership skills, and take part in regional chapter events. For more information about chapters or to start a new one at your institution see the Chapters page.

SACNAS Mentoring Program
Throughout the year and at the annual national conference, SACNAS supports students with a combination of formal and informal mentoring opportunities. To learn how to sign up for online mentoring from a SACNAS mentor and to discover nore about the ways that SACNAS mentoring and networking can advance your science career, see the Mentoring Program. In addition, SACNAS partners with MentorNet to provide year-round e-mentoring. Indicate your SACNAS membership when you sign up and request to be paired with a SACNAS member for one-on-one mentoring. The e-mentoring infrastructure offered through the SACNAS-MentorNet partnership features an in-depth profile matching process between SACNAS protégés and mentors.

SACNAS Online Training Resources
Online video tutorials and resources provide SACNAS students the information and preparation necessary to excel in activities central to a successful science career—such as preparing a superior abstract, developing poster presentation skills, and making the most out of a national scientific meeting. Check out the student presentation resources page for a full set of materials.

SACNAS News
Each edition of the organization’s newsletter, the SACNAS News, offers student-written articles along with a wealth of resources related to career advancement and minority science research. View current editions and learn more about the publication on the SACNAS News web page. Download past editions of the publication: SACNAS News Archive.

Discipline-specific Initiatives

SACNAS International Polar Year Program
SACNAS celebrates International Polar Year by providing travel scholarships for undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdocs to the annual conference. In addition, SACNAS offers programming and mentoring for students studying the polar sciences, Polar Regions, and/or climate change. IPY-related and climate change materials include:

SACNAS IPY Resources
SACNAS News International Polar Year Edition – Spring 2008
SACNAS Green Program

National Conference

Student Scientific Poster and Oral Presentation Information
Student scientific research presentations are a fundamental component of the SACNAS National Conference. The undergraduate and graduate student poster and graduate student scientific symposia (oral research presentations) programs provide opportunities for students to share their research with a national audience of peers and professionals and obtain invaluable mentoring in one of the most important areas of development as scientists. Presenters are also eligible for scientific research presentation recognition awards. See full abstracts presented at previous conferences in SACNAS Abstract Volume editions.

For support to successfully prepare for and participate a national scientific conference, see the student presentation resources page. To view photographs of student presentations from various SACNAS conferences, see the Past Conferences Sights and Sounds website or review the sample poster layouts (PDF). Read important guidelines for giving a professional scientific presentation at SACNAS on the Call for Abstracts page.

SACNAS Conference Travel Scholarships
Undergraduate and graduate students (and postdoctoral researcher) are invited to advance their science education and career by taking part in the SACNAS National Conference. To assist students to take advantage of the unique opportunities and mentoring activities of the national meeting, travel scholarships for airfare and/or lodging are available.

SACNAS Distinguished Mentor Awards
In order to honor those dedicated individuals who serve as mentors and role models to the next generation of minority scientists, SACNAS presents the Distinguished Mentor Awards annually. Students are encouraged to nominate a mentor for recognition by the society. Award recipients receive complimentary travel and lodging to the annual SACNAS conference and are presented with recognition of their award during the plenary session meal functions.

Student Opportunities

Biweekly e-nouncements
Every other week, SACNAS publishes announcements of internships, sponsorships, fellowships, events, and much more; materials are available via email and online for interested members. To sign up for biweekly email, create or update your MySACNAS profile. See the e-nouncement page to view current and previous editions.

Undergraduate Students
For information regarding partner organizations offering graduate student opportunities and fellowships, select a category under the Job/Opportunities option on the upper menu bar, such as Internships or Scholarships.

Graduate Students
For information regarding partner organizations offering graduate student opportunities and fellowships, select a category under the Job/Opportunities option on the upper menu bar, such as Graduate Student Opportunities.

Additional Information

For details about any of SACNAS’ Student Programs and opportunities, please contact the SACNAS office at info@sacnas.org or call (toll free) 877-SACNAS-1 and request to speak with a student program manager.