FUNCTIONAL COMMITTEES

TECHNICAL COMMITTEES

FMCS Awards Committee


Chair:

Curt ELDERKIN - The College of New Jersey - (elderkin@tcnj.edu)
Co-Chairs: David HAYES - Eastern Kentucky University - (david.hayes@eku.edu)
Susan OETKER - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - (susan_oetker@fws.gov)

Statement of Organization and Purpose

FMCS awards are divided into professional and student categories. FMCS presents four professional awards, including the Clench Award, the Lifetime Achievement Award, the Meritorious Service Award, and the Regional Mollusk Meeting Assistance Award. FMCS also grants three types of student awards, including student travel awards, best platform presentation and best poster presentation. Details on each of these six award types can be found below. Each award category is evaluated by separate guidelines, but maintains the intent of the Society's award process. Unless an award specifies otherwise, candidates may:
1) be self-nominated or nominated by an individual or group;
2) may be from North America or any other geographical area;
and 3) be FMCS members or non-members. Recipients of these awards are announced every two years at the FMCS Biennial Symposium during the awards ceremony

The FMCS Awards Committee is responsible for the administration and oversight of all FMCS awards, but award approval, unless otherwise stated, is granted by the FMCS Executive Board. The duties of the Awards Committee are to:
1) solicit nominations and to recommend recipients for each professional award given by the Society;
2) administer awards to students, including selecting the awardees in conjunction with a panel of independent judges;
and 3) coordinate all award activities with the FMCS Treasurer and Executive Board to ensure the timely and smooth implementation of award programs.

Past Award Recipients - CLICK HERE

NEW!
FMCS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Student Welcome Award

The Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society (FMCS) is committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment for all individuals within the field of biology. As part of this commitment, FMCS members and the FMCS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee created this award to support two students from an underrepresented background or identity to explore the field of mollusk conservation by attending the FMCS biannual meeting at Portland, OR during April 10-14, 2023. Undergraduate or graduate students identifying as BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disabled, or neurodivergent, and live in rural areas, or come from low-income families are strongly encouraged to apply. The award will cover the cost of meeting registration or travel expenses up to $365. Travel expenses will be allotted via reimbursement.

Eligibility Requirements and Limitations: Students must be a member of an underrepresented group, and a full-time student at a college or university.

To apply for this award, send an email application to:
Mark Hove: mark_hove@umn.edu

Application Materials:
1) Applicant’s curriculum vita
2) A cover letter describing the benefits of attending the FMCS Symposium, and financial need.

Review Proces
Applications will be reviewed by a subcommittee of the FMCS DEI Committee after the deadline. Any subcommittee member who has a relationship with an applicant will be recused from commenting on that student’s application. Application reviewers will consider applicant’s career stage (e.g., undergraduates will not be held to the same standard as PhD students), professional and personal benefits from attending the meeting, and financial need (e.g., travel distance, institutional support, etc.).

The deadline for submitting these applications is February 2, 2023. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact:
 
Mark Hove  (mark_hove@umn.edu)


NEW!
Early Career Professional Travel Awards

The Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society is pleased to announce the Early Career Professional Travel Award.
Two individuals with less than five years of post-graduate service and in good standing as members of the Society will be awarded free registration to attend our upcoming Symposium.

To apply for this award, send an email application to:
Susan Oetker at susan_oetker@fws.gov.
In this application, provide a short statement (350-500 words) that addresses your:
1) financial need for this assistance and any other source(s) of support for attending,
2) conference participation plan (e.g., presentation, committee meetings),
3) anticipated benefits on future work to your employer,
4) intended plan to disseminate your experience to others (e.g., post-conference presentation, etc.).

Make sure to include your name, present affiliation, years of post-graduate service, and any previous involvement within FMCS (This information will not be counted as part of the word limit).

The deadline for submitting these applications is January 31, 2023. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact:
 
Jeremy Tiemann (jtiemann@illinois.edu),
Curt Elderkin (elderkin@tcnj.edu),
Susan Oetker (susan_oetker@fws.gov),
or David Hayes( david.hayes@eku.edu).



Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society Student Travel Award Program


In 2002, the Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society (FMCS) established a Student Travel Award Program for the specific purpose of encouraging maximal participation of students (undergraduate and graduate) in the biennial symposium of the Society. Support is provided via Society paid lodging accommodations for the duration of the biennial symposium of the Society. It is anticipated that approximately 4-5 awards will be made in a given year.

Eligibility Requirements and Limitations: Any student member of the Society who is enrolled as a full-time student at any college or university and is in good academic standing is eligible to apply. Specifically, each applicant must (1) be a student member of the Society or have paid their student membership dues to the FMCS Treasurer prior to submitting their application; (2) be a registered full-time student in good standing at any institution of higher learning; and (3) have submitted an abstract for a platform or poster presentation at the biennial symposium of the Society.

Application Materials: The following materials comprise a complete application package: One copy of the complete application package must be received by the Student Awards Committee on or before January 30 of the year of the biennial symposium. (Applications received by FAX will not be accepted.) Failure to meet the deadline or to follow instructions invalidates the application.

1. A completed application form: MS Word or PDF
2. A copy of the applicant's abstract that was already submitted through the abstract submission process.
3. A one-page curriculum vita of the applicant.
4. A letter of recommendation (one page maximum) from the applicant's research advisor.

Each application must stand alone: group applications will not be accepted.

Evaluation Procedures: We anticipate that many applicants for travel award will be funded. However, because the number of awards is limited by available funds, applicants will be ranked on the basis of the following criteria:

1) Completeness and timeliness of the application package;
2) Quality of the abstract; and
3) Letter of recommendation


Submit Application Materials by Email on or before January 31, 2023to:

Dr. David M. Hayes
FMCS Awards Committee
david.hayes@eku.edu


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Best Student Presentation Awards

The Best Student Presentation Awards were established by FMCS in 2002 and are given every two years (in conjunction with the biennial symposium) to an individual for the Best Platform (oral) and Best Poster Presentations at the symposium.

Eligibility Requirements:
All students submitting abstracts, provided they meet the eligibility requirements, will be judged for the best student platform or poster presentation unless otherwise indicated on the abstract submittal form.

1.     Must presently be a student or graduated after March in the year preceding the biennial symposium

2.     Must be a first author and present the paper

3.     The presentation must be from research conducted as a student and not as a post-graduate

4.     The FMCS encourages students to give presentations on preliminary stages of their research prior to any data having been collected; however, only presentations that contain data (i.e., results) will be considered for awards

5.     Student status must be indicated on the abstract

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Lifetime Achievement Award

The Lifetime Achievement Award was established by FMCS in 1998 and is given every two years (in conjunction with the biennial symposium), if warranted, to an individual for singular accomplishments or long-term contributions that have advanced the conservation and science of freshwater mollusks at a national or international level. The recipient of this award must have had (1) activity in one or more aspects of freshwater mollusk research and/or conservation for a substantial period of time, with a recommended minimum guideline of 20 years and (2) made substantial contributions to the scientific understanding of freshwater mollusks and/or their conservation.

Nomination Process:
The candidate may or may not be an active member of FMCS. However, nominations for this award must be made by an active FMCS member and should clearly and thoroughly document the accomplishments of the nominee.

Application Instructions:An application package containing the following materials must be submitted to the Chair, FMCS Awards Committee and must contain all of the material requested to be considered for the Award.

1) Letter of Nomination
2) A curriculum vitae
3) Documentation of contributions to the field
4) Three letters of recommendation from active members of the Society.  The letters should explain how the candidate has excelled among colleagues in the field with regard to duration and extent of contributions.

Selection of Recipient:
 The FMCS Awards Committee will receive and evaluate nomination packages for completeness and eligibility.  Packages will be forwarded with recommendations to the Executive Board of the Society for majority approval.  Announcement of the Award will be made at the biennial symposium. The recipient of this award will be granted free lifetime membership in the Society

Completed applications must arrive by 31 December of the year preceding the biennial symposium. Send to: Chair, FMCS Awards Committee

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The William J. Clench Memorial Award

The William J. Clench Memorial Award was established by FMCS in 2000 to recognize outstanding contributions to the field of malacology, including significant collections.  William J. Clench was born on October 24, 1897 and later served as Curator of Mollusks at the Harvard University Museum of Comparative Zoology from 1926 to 1966. He worked toward having a well balanced worldwide research collection, through exchanges, collecting trips, and acquiring collections from small private museums or individuals which could no longer afford to care for them. He remained active in this regard until his death on February 22, 1984.

This award is given every two years (in conjunction with the biennial symposium), if warranted, to an individual for singular accomplishments or long-term contributions that have advanced the natural history and understanding of freshwater mollusks at an academic or non-academic level. The recipient of this award must have had (1) activity in one or more aspects of freshwater mollusks for a substantial period of time, with a recommended minimum guideline of 20 years and (2) made substantial contributions to the field of freshwater malacology.

Nomination Process: The candidate may or may not be an active member of FMCS. However, nominations for this award must be made by an active FMCS member and should clearly and thoroughly document the accomplishments of the nominee.


Application Instructions: An application package containing the following materials must be submitted to the Chair, FMCS Awards Committee and must contain all of the material requested to be considered for the Award.

1) Letter of Nomination
2) A curriculum vitae
3) Documentation of contributions to the field
4) One letter of recommendation from an active member of the Society.  The letter should explain how the candidate has excelled among colleagues in the field with regard to duration and extent of contributions.

Selection of Recipient: The FMCS Awards Committee will receive and evaluate nomination packages for completeness and eligibility.  Packages will be forwarded with recommendations to the Executive Board of the Society for majority approval.  Announcement of the Award will be made at the biennial symposium.

Completed applications must arrive by 31 December of the year preceding the biennial symposium. Send to: Chair, FMCS Awards Committee

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The Meritorious Service Award

The Meritorious Service Award was established by FMCS in 2000 and is given every two years (in conjunction with the biennial symposium), if warranted, to an individual for singular accomplishments or long-term contributions to the Society. The recipient of this award must be a past or present FMCS member who has performed long-term, exceptionally high-quality service to the Society.

Nomination Process: The candidate must have been an active member of FMCS to qualify.  Nominations for this award may be made by the candidate or by a past or present FMCS member. The nomination must be accompanied by documentation of service made to the Society.

Application Instructions: An application package containing the following materials must be submitted to the Chair, FMCS Awards Committee and must contain all of the material requested to be considered for the Award.



1) Letter of Nomination
2) A curriculum vitae
3) Documentation of service to the Society
4) One letter of recommendation from an active member of the Society.  The letter should explain how the candidate has excelled among colleagues with regard to duration and extent of service to FMCS.

Selection of Recipient: The FMCS Awards Committee will receive and evaluate nomination packages for completeness and eligibility.  Packages will be forwarded with recommendations to the Executive Board of the Society for majority approval.  Announcement of the Award will be made at the biennial symposium.

Completed applications must arrive by 31 December of the year preceding the biennial symposium. Send to: Chair, FMCS Awards Committee


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Regional Mollusk Meeting Assistance Award

In 2012, the Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society (FMCS) established a Regional Mollusk Meeting Assistance Award to facilitate regional mollusk meetings that address local and regional concerns with freshwater mollusk conservation and management. The FMCS interest in assisting with these meetings is to achieve a common goal of bringing people together who work with freshwater mollusks to exchange information on how to conserve and protect this faunal group. These meetings are often attended by a variety of individuals, including agency personnel, academia, private citizens, scientists, and others, some of whom may not be FMCS members. Therefore, a secondary goal for this program is to increase the awareness of, and membership in, FMCS among individuals in these groups who are not FMCS members. Support is provided via a cash award of $100 to the regional mollusk meeting group to help defray the costs (e.g., meeting room rental, speaker travel, break refreshments) associated with hosting their meeting. It is anticipated that about 15-20 awards will be made in a given calendar year.

Eligibility Requirements and Limitations: Any member of the Society in good standing who is on the organizing committee of a regional mollusk meeting is eligible to apply. Specifically, each applicant must (1) be a current member of the Society or have paid their membership dues prior to submitting their application; (2) be willing to accept responsibility for, and utilize the funds for their stated (see above) intended purpose; (3) submit a short summary report (one page or less) of the regional mollusk meeting, with a list of attendees and agenda, (and meeting minutes and presentation abstracts, if available) to the Awards Committee Chair and to the Ellipsaria Newsletter Editor within one month of completion of the meeting; and (4) be willing to promote the FMCS, and specifically its assistance in the partial sponsorship of the Regional Meeting, and encourage any non-FMCS attendees to join the FMCS. NOTE: Failure to submit the mandatory summary report will result in ineligibility of that particular regional group for another Meeting Assistance Award for a subsequent two year period.

Application Materials: One copy of the completed application must be received by the Chair of the Awards Committee at least two months prior to the Regional Mollusk Meeting to allow for application and payment processing. Applications may be sent by e-mail to the Awards Committee Co-Chair: David HAYES (David.Hayes@eku.edu)
. Failure to follow instructions or to fully complete the application form (MS Word or PDF) invalidates the application.

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