Robert W. Lichtwardt Student Research Award

About this program

Mycological Society of America (MSA) Research Awards Committee administers the annual Robert W. Lichtwardt Student Research Award to fund student research on fungi and organisms symbiotic with arthropods, supporting small or exploratory projects or supplements to larger grants with no restriction on methods or topics. Applicants must be current MSA members or have applied for membership at time of application, with preference given to M.S. or undergraduate degree-seeking students and to those enrolled at North American institutions; Ph.D. candidates are considered secondarily. Required materials include an application form, a statement of research ability and academic standing, a CV (max 3 pages), a detailed study plan (max 5 pages single-spaced with a 200–250 word abstract, objectives, methods, significance, budget and timeline), official transcripts, and one supervisor recommendation submitted via the provided portal. Awards do not allow indirect costs; recipients must complete W-9/W-8 documentation, provide a short biography and photo, submit a short MSA article within one year and a detailed final report within two years, and funds are disbursed after the annual MSA conference.