The Emerging Researchers National (ERN) Conference has opened travel award applications and abstract submissions for students. In addition, general registration is now open for students and faculty along with exhibitor registration.
The HBCU-UP/CREST PI-PD Meeting will be February 8-9, 2023 and registration will open in September, 2022.
The ERN Conference is co-sponsored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Inclusive STEM Ecosystems for Equity & Diversity (ISEED) and the NSF Division of Human Resource Development (HRD), within the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR). The ERN Conference is supported by a grant from the HBCU-UP Program – Grant No. 193047. The conference will be held in Washington, D.C. on February 9-11, 2023.
The conference registration deadline is earlier than in the past. Registration closes December 3rd at 12 midnight (PST). Faculty bringing students need to secure travel funding prior to the December 3rd deadline.
Call for Abstracts
All eligible undergraduate and graduate students are invited to submit abstracts for the 2023 ERN Conference.
All student poster and oral presentations will be scheduled for Friday, February 10th and Saturday, February 11th.
Students submitting abstracts must be:
Undergraduate or graduate students who participate in research or education projects funded by one of the following NSF Programs below or other STEM research programs around the country:
- Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP)
- Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST)
- Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation (EFRI) Scholars
- EntryPoint
- Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI)
- Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP)
- Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP);
- LSAMP-Bridges to the Doctorate
- Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs)
- Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP)
If your abstract was accepted for the 2022 ERN Conference, you would need to re-submit your abstract to attend the 2023 ERN Conference. You may use the same abstract if the research, results, and contributors have not changed. If there are any changes or updates, then an updated abstract needs to be submitted.
Travel Award Information
A limited number of travel awards are available for students who are selected for poster or oral presentations at the ERN Conference.
The 2023 ERN Travel Award covers the conference registration fee, housing, airfare, and ground transportation. The conference will begin at 6:00 PM on Thursday, February 9th, and will end at 9:00 PM on Saturday, February 11th.
Your hotel guest room cost at the conference hotel will be covered for the following nights:
Thursday, February 9th; Friday, February 10th; and Saturday, February 11th.
For students traveling from Hawaii, hotel costs will also be covered for Wednesday, February 8th if needed to arrive on time.
Eligibility for Travel Awards
In addition to being eligible to submit an abstract, Travel Award applicants are subject to the following stipulation:
(A) Must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident.
(B) Must be accepted to present a poster or oral presentation at the 2023 ERN Conference.
Submitting Your Travel Award Application
All applications will be reviewed and evaluated by the following criteria:
- Academic achievement
- STEM career interest
To submit your ERN travel award application, please select “TA Application” from the available registration types when submitting your abstract.
If you received a travel award for the 2022 ERN Conference, you would need to re-apply for a travel award and re-submit your abstract to attend the 2023 ERN Conference. You may use the same abstract if the research, results, and contributors have not changed. If there are any changes or updates, then an updated abstract needs to be submitted.
For award finalists, we will contact faculty mentors to verify student GPAs and for an explanation of why travel support cannot be paid from their NSF grant or other sources.
About the Conference
The ERN conference is designed to help students to enhance their science communication skills; better understand how to prepare for science careers in a global workforce; and to find out about summer, graduate school, and employment opportunities. Towards this end, the general format for the 2-1/2 day conference will include:
- Undergraduate poster and oral presentations
- Graduate oral presentations
- Plenary sessions and professional development workshops
- Exhibitors from the academic, government, and business sectors