Student Grants and Awards
PERS offers a variety of Student grants and awards. Supporting student research and encouraging their success has long been a focus of our group, please find below the various ways that PERS supports our student members.
Student Travel Grants
The ‘Student Travel Fund’ was originally established at PERS in memory of Dr. Millicent Quammen, an estuarine scientist whose studies on the ecology and function of wetlands were instrumental in guiding management and restoration design. The fund was recently renamed to simply Student Travel Fund to better reflect the diversity of sources for funding to help our students with their travel needs.
PERS Annual Meeting Travel Grant
Student presenters at the Annual PERS Meeting are encouraged to apply for travel assistance to defray some of their expenses of attending. Travel funds designated in memory of an individual will be given “In honor/memory of” that individual and on the travel award it will indicate who the funds were given in memory of/in honor of.
Heinle Award
One of our student awards has been given a very special name: the best overall graduate student presentation award was established in 2002 as the ‘Heinle Award’, in memory of Dr. Don Heinle, an estuarine ecologist who was always so supportive of students. Probably anyone who went to PERS meetings in the past remembers Don listening intently to the student presentations and asking questions with good and supportive interest. The Heinle Award is up to $500 in support for the winning student to travel to a subsequent CERF national meeting.
Duane L. Higley Award 2024
· Duane was passionate about teaching and connecting with students. His undergraduate and graduate degrees were in fish ecology, but he found his true home at Oregon State University’s College of Oceanography. As a senior research assistant, Duane led research programs in the estuarine and coastal ecology of fish and invertebrates, including comprehensive studies in the Columbia River, Netarts Bay, and Siletz River estuaries and in the nearshore marine environment off Winchester Bay, Oregon.
· Duane introduced his graduate students to professional societies such as PERS-CERF and encouraged them to share their research results. Many of those students continued to successful professional careers, a lifelong legacy of Duane’s patient, positive, and caring mentorship.
· We will remember Duane for his quiet leadership role, his guidance on proper field sample design, statistical and descriptive analyses, and clear writing.
· He would appreciate seeing these funds dedicated to student research, travel, and presentations at PERS-CERF meetings.
Student Research Grants
Eligibility
Student in either an MS or PhD program and completes the application packet
Current PERS member
Attend a university in the PERS region
Pursue a course of study involving estuaries or nearshore systems in the Pacific Northwest.
If you make a paypal donation please note your choice of funds in the Message to Seller box. If you mail a donation please include a note as to which fund you would like the donation to go too. We will also use the information to send you a tax-deductible receipt. If you would like to read a bit more about any of our members included on the list please see the “In Memory of” page
Funds designated as the following will be awarded as:
Millicent Quammen – Millicent Quammen Travel Award
Don Heinle – CERF Travel Award better known as the Heinle Award
Pete Eldridge – Pete Eldridge Research Award
Bob Emmett – Bob Emmett Travel Award or Research Award
If you choose to donate in memory/ in honor of someone else you may designate either travel or research. Donate Now – US funds use the button on the side of the page, it has a dropdown to choose where you wish your funds to be applied.
Donate Now – Canadian Funds
If you prefer to pay by check then send a donation to:
Pacific Estuarine Research Society c/o Jeannie Gilbert 2717 W Maplewood Ave Bellingham, Wa 98225