A discounted conference registration fee is available for students. See the registration page for more information.
Student travel awards
The Gulf of Mexico University Research Collaborative (GOMURC) Board Member institutions have travel awards available for students presenting research at the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science Conference. Eligible students will submit an abstract to the conference and attend one of the following institutions:
- Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
- LSU-Baton Rouge
- Mississippi Research Consortium (any MRC member institution)
- Florida Institute of Oceanography (any FIO member institution)
Each of the above will support up to 2 students. Eligible students will be selected on a first come first serve basis. To request travel support, students should contact Kristen Yarincik and include their abstract. The travel support will include the cost of the conference registration.
Awards for Oustanding Research Presentation and Poster
Two students will be recognized with the James D. Watkins Student Award for Excellence in Research for outstanding student presentation and outstanding student poster. Award recipients will receive $500. The James D. Watkins Student Award for Excellence in Research strives to recognize outstanding research in order to cultivate the next generation of ocean scientists and encourage excitement for presenting their work.
To be eligible, students must have registered for the GoMRI Annual Meeting and have their presentation or poster accepted for presentation at the meeting. Graduate or undergraduate students that are first author will be considered for the James D. Watkins Student Award for Excellence in Research. Evaluation criteria include: scientific merit, research capability, design & style, and knowledge of presenter. A sample award scoresheet is available for information.
The Student Award for Excellence in Research is named after Admiral James D. Watkins, a hero in the ocean community who recently passed away. Admiral Watkins lived a life of public service and his extraordinary influence on the ocean science community is immeasurable. Given Admiral Watkins’ lifelong pursuit of encouraging and building the next generation of ocean scientists, it was most appropriate to name this award after him, as it recognizes excellent research as a way of motivating students to continue to excel in the field of oceanography.
There is no application process for participating in this opportunity. All student presenters, undergraduate, Master’s and PhD graduate students, will be considered for these awards. Contact Leigh Zimmermann at the Consortium for Ocean Leadership with any questions.
