The American Fisheries Society (AFS) is pleased to announce that applications are being accepted until March 6, 2011 (received electronically by this date), for the J. Frances Allen Scholarship for a female doctoral fisheries student. The Allen Scholarship was established in 1986 to honor Allen, who pioneered women’s involvement in the AFS and in the field of fisheries. The scholarship fund was established with the intent of encouraging women to become fisheries professionals.

Eligibility: The qualified applicant must be a female Ph.D. student who was an AFS member as of December 31, 2010. The applicant must be conducting aquatic research in line with AFS objectives, which include “all branches of fisheries science, including but not limited to aquatic biology, engineering, fish culture, limnology, oceanography, and sociology”.

Application: To apply, submit items A through D electronically, in an email:

A. Resume with information in the following format:

        1) Educational history: degrees, grade point average for each degree
            (overall and in major), relevant courses taken:
        2) Professional experience: positions held, level of position, years of
            experience at each level
        3) Publications: separated into refereed and other;
        4) Presentations: “first author” implies you presented it, “second author”
            assumes you did not, specify if otherwise and,
        5) AFS participation: year joined, meeting attendance and participation,
            committee involvement, presentations at AFS meetings.

B. Transcripts from all institutions of higher education attended; include enrollment in PhD program. High quality photocopies are acceptable. Please include transcripts, do not have them sent separately. You may scan official transcripts as long as it is of high quality.

C. Dissertation research proposal not to exceed four single-spaced pages (excluding separate title page, abstract, and references). The proposal must be submitted in the following single-spaced format with headings:

         1) Title page with project title, area of research (e.g. genetics, ecology,
              modeling, applicant’s name, university and department;
         2) Abstract, not to exceed one half-page, describing research proposed;
         3) Introduction of project with background and project justification;
         4) Problem statement with specific objectives or hypotheses;
         5) Summary of procedures and methods with justification for choices,
             including preliminary testing, literature references;
         6) Expected and preliminary results;
         7) Significance of research or anticipated application of findings; and,
         8) Literature cited (follow format for Transactions of the American Fisheries
             Society).

D. Three letters of recommendation, one of which must be from the applicant’s
major advisor. One letter must be from an AFS member. Each letter should
address the (1) applicant’s promise as a fisheries scientist; (2) potential of
applicant to complete their proposed work; and, (3) significance of the
applicant’s proposed research to the advancement of fisheries science. If
those writing letters prefer- they may email letters separately to the address
below, but must be received by the deadline and should contain the
applicants name along with J.F. Allen Scholarship in the subject heading.
Send electronic applications and recommendations (in one mailing), to be received no later than March 6, 2011 to:

Marie-Ange Gravel
Subject: J. Frances Allen Scholarship

An application will not be reviewed if any part is missing, or if it is received after the deadline.

Criteria for Selection: Selection will be made by the J. Frances Allen Scholarship Committee of the AFS Equal Opportunity Section Proposal reviews by scientists in appropriate fields will be solicited by the committee. The awardee will be selected on a competitive basis with emphasis placed on research promise, scientific merit, and academic achievement. Submission of an application acknowledges the applicant’s acceptance of the Committee’s decision as final.

Public Announcement and Notification: Public announcement of the recipient of the J. Frances Allen Scholarship will be made at the 2011 AFS Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington. In addition a written announcement will appear in Fisheries and the recipient will receive an official letter of award. The recipient is encouraged to present the results of her research at an Annual Meeting of the Society. It is expected that the research findings will be published in an appropriate fisheries journal upon project completion, at which time the support from this scholarship and AFS will be acknowledged.