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Travel Awards
Travel awards are one of the most valued member benefits offered by ASA, CSSA, and SSSA. These awards provide financial support for students and professionals to share their research, expand their networks, and grow their careers at leading scientific meetings and programs.
Each year, members may apply for travel support to attend CANVAS as well as other conferences and specialized programs. Award opportunities vary by audience and focus, but all are designed to make professional development more accessible.
How to Get Started with an Award Nomination:
- Browse Available Awards
Review the list of available awards below and choose the ones that align with your or your nominee’s accomplishments. - Start Your Nomination
Click "Start Application" to begin. - Submit by the Deadline
All nominations that require them must include the submitted reference letters by the deadline listed for each award.
ASA, CSSA, SSSA Science Policy
Congressional Visits Day Travel Awards
| Award | Purpose | Award Status | Open Date | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Future Leaders in Science Award | The Future Leaders in Science award is an opportunity for graduate students to engage with policymakers and advocate for food, agriculture, and natural resources research funding. Those selected will receive advocacy training and travel funding to attend the 2026 Congressional Visits Day | Closed | Oct 1, 2026 | This award is open to any student member of ASA, CSSA, and/or SSSA who live and work in the U.S. |
| Excellence in Advocacy Award | The Excellence in Advocacy award is an opportunity for ASA, CSSA and SSSA non-student members to engage with policymakers and advocate for food, agriculture, and natural resources research funding. Those selected will receive advocacy training and travel funding to attend the 2026 Congressional Visits Day | Closed | Oct 1, 2026 | This award is open to non-student (postdoc, early career, mid-career, emeritus) member of ASA, CSSA, and/or SSSA who live and work in the U.S. |
National Association of Plant Breeding
Borlaug Scholars Program
| Award | Purpose | Award Status | Open Date | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NAPB Borlaug Undergraduate Scholars | The Borlaug Scholars Program supports upper-level undergraduate students pursuing plant breeding or genetics by pairing them with NAPB mentors and providing funding to attend the NAPB Annual Meeting, helping prepare the next generation of plant breeding leaders. | Closed | Fall, 2026 | Nominee will be an undergraduate student during the 2026 conference. |
| NAPB Borlaug Graduate Scholars | Supports graduate students pursuing plant breeding or genetics by pairing them with NAPB mentors and providing funding to attend the NAPB Annual Meeting, helping prepare the next generation of plant breeding leaders. | Closed | Fall, 2026 | Nominee will be a graduate student during the 2026 conference. |
CANVAS Travel Awards
Professional Travel Awards
| Award | Purpose | Award Status | Open Date | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advancing Pedology Award | This award honors a significant peer-reviewed contribution made within the past five years that advances the field of pedology across areas like soil classification, morphology, genesis, or mapping. The award includes a $500 honorarium, waived abstract fees for CANVAS, and an invitation to present at the Advancing Pedology Colloquium during the conference. | Closed | April, 2026 | Nominations will be accepted for soil scientists at any career stage including graduate students. |
| Indian University Graduate Student Travel Award | To encourage the development of bright young soil scientists or agronomists who have recently completed their Ph.D. from a university in India, in the general area of quantifying soil-water-crop-climate process interactions and their applications in management. | Closed | April, 2026 | Nominee should be within two years of their terminal degree pursuing research/work in the agronomic or soil sciences. |
| Caregiver Travel Award | To support attendees who face challenges in attending CANVAS due to expenses related directly to their responsibilities as the primary caregiver for a child or other dependent. | Closed | April, 2026 | See full award page for selection criteria. |
Student Travel Awards
| Award | Purpose | Award Status | Open Date | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advancing Pedology Award | This award honors a significant peer-reviewed contribution made within the past five years that advances the field of pedology across areas like soil classification, morphology, genesis, or mapping. The award includes a $500 honorarium, waived abstract fees for CANVAS, and an invitation to present at the Advancing Pedology Colloquium during the conference. | Closed | April, 2026 | Nominations will be accepted for soil scientists at any career stage including graduate students. |
| Bridge Scholars | The Bridge Scholars Program encourages scientific development in agricultural and environmental sciences through scholarship, networking, and professional development for all students including those in historically under-represented groups. | Closed | April, 2026 | TBD |
| Graduate Student Travel Award | To support qualified students who plan to present research at CANVAS, and are unable to attend the meeting without additional outside financial assistance (not fully supported by the professor, department, or program), and can provide justification outlining how meeting attendance will benefit their careers. | Closed | April, 2026 | TBD |
| Hans Jenny Soil Field Trip Award | To support SSSA student participation in field trips/tours offered at CANVAS by subsidizing their participation. | Closed | April, 2026 | TBD |
| Henry Lin Travel Grant | To support graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, who fit within the broad area of soil science in the form of a travel award, specifically for CANVAS. | Closed | April, 2026 | TBD |
| Jeffrey L. Smith Graduate Student Travel Award | This travel award supports a graduate student presenting research in Soil Biology & Biochemistry or Forest, Range & Wildland Soils at CANVAS and encourages participation in these divisions. | Closed | April, 2026 | TBD |
| Robert J. Luxmoore Graduate Student Travel Award | This award supports graduate students presenting research in Forest, Range & Wildland Soils at CANVAS | Closed | April, 2026 | TBD |
| Luxmoore Soil Physics Student Travel Award | This award provides travel support to undergraduate or graduate students presenting research in Soil Physics and Hydrology at CANVAS. | Closed | April, 2026 | TBD |
| Military Veterans in Agriculture Award | This travel award supports up to four undergraduate or graduate student veterans from the U.S. or abroad in attending CANVAS to explore careers in agronomic and environmental sciences through scholarship, networking, and comradery. | Closed | April, 2026 | TBD |
| Soil and Water Management and Conservation Division Graduate Student Award | This award recognizes a graduate student conducting innovative research in soil and water conservation with a $350 travel stipend to support attendance at CANVAS. | Closed | April, 2026 | TBD |