The ASM Conference Grant program has been suspended while ASM conducts a comprehensive program review. 

A key objective in the ASM mission is to serve as a forum for microbial sciences. We do this by publishing journals and books, as well as by organizing and sponsoring meetings and other scientific gatherings.

Through the ASM Conference Grant Program, ASM will award competitive-funding requests up to $10,000 for member-driven and organized conferences, workshops and symposia. Funding for past awards has ranged from $2,000—$7,500.

Program Details

The goals of this program:

• Enable ASM to support its members by supporting conferences they organize.
• Highlight special topics that support new and emerging areas of interdisciplinary research and support fundamental areas across the microbial sciences.
• Foster communication and collaboration across ASM groups.
• Empower organizers to decide on the style, format and venue of the meeting.
• Promote speaker diversity and provide career development opportunities for early career microbiologists.

Selection Criteria

1. Broad scope (geographically, topically). This program was instituted to support ASM members leading conferences in their fields, and, in part, replaces and supplements previous funding through the ASM Conferences and Advance Your Science Programs supporting regional, non-branch meetings, including the previous funding for the Conference on Beneficial Microbes, Conference on Experimental Microbial Evolution, Salmonella Conference, etc.
2. Funding from ASM is critical for the meeting. The application should succinctly demonstrate unmet need.
3. Significant appeal for the U.S. microbiology community. This does not mean the meeting must be in the U.S., but it should be accessible to U.S. members.
4. Conference open to all who wish to attend (i.e., not a workshop for select individuals).
5. Commitment from top experts in the field that reflect its diversity.
6. Benefit to ASM. The conference application should concretely address how the event will benefit ASM as an organization and its members. Examples include:
   • A special topical issue in an ASM journal, following discussion with the editor in chief.
   • Recruitment of new ASM members and/or demonstration of the value of membership.
   • Visible promotion of ASM’s contribution to the meeting.

This program is not intended to fund applications to generically supplement existing conferences organized by other professional organizations or societies. However, awards have been made to support specific elements or initiatives within these meetings that address the goals of this program.

Proposals are evaluated by a 2-stage process. First, a panel of member volunteers scores applications according to the above criteria and provides general feedback on scoring. Second, a standing committee evaluates proposals in light of these scores and selects 7-10 proposals for funding per cycle.

Award Expectations

1. Recognize and promote ASM sponsorship in your meeting communications (e.g. ASM logo in program book, on website, on signage, etc.).
2. Within 6 months after the conference, provide a 2-page report to ASM's Council On Microbial Sciences (COMS) (coms@asm.org) describing:
   • How you achieved your scientific goals.
   • What the award enabled.
   • Size of audience, composition, diversity.
   • Method of communication, online presence, etc.
   • Outcomes, including publication plans.
   • Benefit to ASM as a society and members.
3. Acknowledge that your report can be shared and publicized for the benefit of ASM.

Eligibility

To qualify for this program, the individual submitting the application must:

• Be an ASM Member.

Apply

Applications are no longer being accepted.

Learn More

View previous ASM Conference Grant Awardees.