for detailed information on the retreat, see: http://www.sbse.org/retreat2012/

Description

The Society of Building Science Educators (SBSE) is pleased to announce it will provide up to eight scholarships to qualified students to help defray the cost of attending the 2012 SBSE Retreat. Each scholarship will cover the majority of on-site retreat costs (including lodging, several meals, and retreat materials) and provide some support toward travel expenses.

Scholarship recipients must pay their 2012-2013 SBSE Student Membership Dues ($15) when registering for the retreat, will be required to pay a substantially reduced retreat registration fee of $25, and are responsible for making their own travel arrangements to/from Boise, ID. In addition, lodging in Boise (probably one night minimum) will be the responsibility of the recipient. Applicants are encouraged to seek additional support from their home institutions (department, college and/or university) to help defray travel expenses beyond the somewhat nominal amount provided by the scholarship.

It is the intention of this scholarship to provide $560 in support per recipient. At this time, the retreat registration fee has not been set, so the amount of travel funding that will be available (after retreat fees have been paid) is unknown.

These scholarships are intended to provide support for students who are interested in teaching environmental control systems (or a closely related area of building science). Retreat scholarships will be awarded on a competitive basis following review of all applications received by the deadline noted above. Late applications will not be considered.

Applications for retreat scholarships will be evaluated with the following criteria in mind: 

1. an applicant must be a graduate student or recent masters/doctoral graduate not yet in practice or teaching at the time of application,

2. an applicant should have prior experience as a teaching assistant in an environmental control systems (or related building science) course,

3. an applicant will make a convincing case that they are potentially interested in pursuing a teaching career in building sciences and will benefit from retreat participation,

4. an applicant should be close to graduation or have recently graduated (see item 1),

5. the selection process will favor those who have never attended a summer retreat, geographic diversity among applicants, and balanced representation from institutions--assuming all other selection criteria have been successfully addressed.

Scholarship recipients will register for the retreat at the deeply discounted fee of $25. Lodging options other than the standard retreat package will not be available to recipients. The travel support funds will be awarded via check during the retreat. Failure to attend the retreat will void the scholarship.

A reminder: the intent of this scholarship program is to provide support for students interested in teaching environmental systems who have limited institutional resources at their disposal. The program is not targeted at faculty or design professionals who are gainfully employed.

How to Apply

There is no formal application template to fill out and submit. Applications will consist of an electronically submitted Word or pdf document that provides the information noted below and addresses the criteria described above. Items 3 and 4 are of particular interest to the selection committee.

Applications must be limited to two 8.5 x 11 pages (or equivalent).

1. Contact information: name of the applicant, current institutional affiliation, mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address.

2. Building science background: current and prior universities and programs, specific coursework you have taken in environmental control systems (or related building science), and relevant educational experiences gained through practice (if applicable). Indicate your projected month and year of graduation.

3. Personal statement: help the selection committee evaluate your application by addressing your prior experience as a teaching assistant in an environmental control systems (or related building science) course and your interest in pursuing a teaching career in building sciences (why interested, projected timeframe, anticipated role). Evidence of current SBSE membership will be considered a plus. (Renewing or joining SBSE for 2012-2013 is a requirement of retreat registration.)

4. Impact statement: briefly but clearly describe the benefits you expect to derive from participation in the 2012 SBSE Retreat. If you anticipate playing an active role at the retreat (as a presenter, for example) be sure to note this.

5. Previous retreats: indicate whether you have attended a previous SBSE retreat or retreats, and whether you have previously received an SBSE retreat scholarship.

See critical dates and deadlines above. Late applications will not be accepted.

Submit applications to: awards@sbse.org

Use the subject: SBSE RETREAT SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION

Scholarship Coordinator (inquiries only): Walter Grondzik, gzik@polaris.net

A note regarding coordination: although SBSE has asked that spaces at the retreat be reserved for scholarship applicants, it is possible that the retreat will otherwise fill up. Thus, an unsuccessful scholarship applicant may find the retreat closed by the time a decision on scholarships is made. It may be wise to reserve a retreat space in advance of scholarship notification.