2026 Trainee Travel Award - May 8th Deadline
The Center of Microbiome Science (CoMS) and Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) Microbial Communities Thematic Program are offering travel awards to support trainees attending conferences, workshops, and training opportunities.
Awards are intended to enhance trainee development and support microbiome and microbial communities research.
Congratulations to the first round of Trainee Travel Awards winners!
- Neeraja Balasubrahmaniam (PI: Karen Dannemiller)
American Chemical Society National Meeting, Chicago, IL
Elevated moisture in house dust and carpet reveals differential fungal gene expression, microbial volatile emissions, and their metabolic associations during mold growth - Blake Bringhurst (PI: Rachelle Adams), Breisgau, Germany
International Congress of the International Union for the Study of Social Insects
Presenting on fungus growing ants and how the venom of an ant parasite influences fungal gardens. - Kim Jayun (PI: Jiyoung Lee)
International Symposium on Microbial Ecology, Auckland, New Zealand
Presenting on how pulmonary exposure to cyanotoxins alters the gut microbiome and affects systemic health - Trey Johnson (PI: Sarah Short)
Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting, Columbus, OH
Presenting on the microbiota of Ixodes scapularis and its association with pathogen presence across spatial gradients. - Rosemary Luong (PI: Matthew Sullivan)
Midwest Microbiome Symposium, Champaign, IL
Presenting on global distribution of cyanophages in the oceans - Andrew Miles (PI: Enrico Bonello)
Plant Health 2026, Providence, RI
Presenting on bacterial and fungal microbiome communities associated with beech leaf disease - Courtney Mitchem (PI: Dan Wozniak)
ASM Microbe, Washington D.C.
Presenting on genetic and environmental factors that influence Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation - Sushma Nepal (PI: Fred Tabung)
Beneficial Microbes and International Symbiosis, Madison, WI
Presenting on gut and tumor microbial profiles associated with colorectal cancer - Christian Quiles Pérez (PI: Patrick Bradley)
Midwest Microbiome Symposium, Champaign, IL
Presenting on gut microbe Lachnospiraceae growth in defined media - Abby Spencer (PI: Skye Fishbein)
Beneficial Microbes and International Symbiosis, Madison, WI
Presenting on persistence / turnover mechanisms in Firmicutes (gut microbiota) - Sophia Stokes (PI: Zakee Sabree)
Midwest Microbiome Symposium, Champaign, IL
Presenting on how gut microbes may influence American cockroach growth - Kirti Tayagi (PI: David Mackey)
American Society of Plant Biologists Midwest Symposium, University of Missouri
Defining the role of the WtsE effector pore domain in apoplastic niche establishment by Pantoea stewartii
Award Details
- Travel awards will be provided to partially defray the cost of travel (transportation, lodging, registration, etc.).
- Up to eleven Travel Awards of $700 are available. You may request less than $700.
- Applications will be reviewed after both the first and second deadline, but only 1 application may be submitted per trainee at either deadline. (Aka, you may not submit applications at both deadlines.)
- Applications will be reviewed and the first round of award winners will be announced at the CoMS Graduate Student Union Microbial Frontiers Symposium on April 9th, 2026. Please register to attend. Registration is free.
- Award winners selected after the second deadline will be notified via email.
Eligibility
Applicants must:
- Be an undergraduate, graduate student, postdoc, or research scientist at OSU or Nationwide Children’s Hospital
- Be a member of CoMS and/or IDI
- Attending or presenting at a conference or training relevant to microbial community or microbiome sciences
- Use funds for travel after April 15, 2026
Preference given to trainees.
Need to sign up as a member?
CoMS membership link: https://go.osu.edu/joincoms
IDI membership link: https://idi.osu.edu/members Link to registration on the page.
Application Requirements
Applications must include:
- Applicant and PI information
- Dates, location, and brief description of the meeting/training experience.
- What is the relevance of this meeting/training experience to your academic or professional development? (300 words max.)
- Description of connection between the meeting/training experience and microbial communities/microbiome science (100 words max)
- If presenting at a meeting, the meeting abstract should also be included in the application.
Timeline
- Priority Deadline: April 1, 2026 5 pm ET
- Second Deadline: May 8th, 2026 5 pm ET
- First Awards Announced: April 9, 2026 (GSU Symposium)
- May applicants will be notified of awards via email by late May.
Apply for award
Apply here: https://go.osu.edu/trainee_travel_award_application
Have questions or issues with the application form? Contact microbiome@osu.edu with your question.
Example Conferences:
FYI: Upcoming relevant conferences include (but are not restricted to):
- Midwest Microbiome Symposium
- At University of Illinois Urbana Champaign May 11-13, 2026. See here for more info.
- At Purdue in May 2027
- Penn State University One Health Microbiome Symposium. May 13-14, 2026. See here for more info.
- ASM Microbe. June 4-8, 2026. Washington D.C. See here for more info.
- EuroBiofilms. June 17-20, 2026. Guimarães, Portugal. See here for more info.
- Montana Biofilm Meeting. July 15-17, 2026. Bozeman, Montana. See here for more info.
- Any professional conference related to Microbial Communities or Microbiome Sciences.
For Award Winners:
- Award winners are not eligible to seek travel award funding from the IDI or CoMS for one calendar year.
- Award funds will be transferred to the trainee’s home unit to assist in covering travel costs
- An award letter will be sent to the recipient for signature prior to funds being transferred
- All university and college/department/unit travel policies and procedures apply
- Work with your college/department/unit fiscal/travel professional to plan travel
- Awardees should acknowledge receipt of this travel award in their poster, presentation, or summary of the experience as follows: “Travel to this conference was partially supported by The Ohio State University Infectious Diseases Institute and Center of Microbiome Science.”
Travel award recipients are encouraged to present their research and/or a brief summary of their experience at a relevant OSU forum within 1 year of travel. Forums include:
- OSU Microbial Communities Symposium
- Monthly Biofilms meeting
- Local or departmental seminar
- Infectious Diseases Institute Works in Progress Seminar – contact Dr. Murugesan Rajaram (murugesan.rajaram@osumc.edu)