Guidelines for SMB
Financial Support of Meetings

At the last board meeting (August 2000) the issue of meeting support by SMB was raised. The SMB board receives many requests to financially support various meetings and workshops in mathematical biology, and the need arose to formulate explicit guidelines according to which the finance committee could approve or reject such requests and determine the amount of funding.

After lengthy discussions by the board, which went on for about two months, the following guidelines were approved unanimously. Please read them carefully whether you are planning to request SMB funding for a meeting you are organizing, or for traveling to a meeting.

1. Funding for meetings.
   • Topic of meeting must include theoretical biology as a major component of the contents.
   • Meeting organizers must raise funds from other sources to match the contribution of SMB.
   • Funds will be used for preferentially supporting travel and registration of junior scientists (students, postdocs, and non-tenured junior faculty who do not have sufficient travel funds from other sources, such as grants). More senior faculty with insufficient travel funds may also be supported, but with a lower priority.
   • Funds may be used to support SMB members only; non-members may apply for membership when applying for the support.
   • Support should be made available to eligible participants on the basis of scientific merit and career needs only, with no discrimination on the basis of gender, race, age or ethnic background. Women and minorities should be encouraged to apply, and meeting organizers will report to SMB on the diversity of applicants and support recipients.

2. Funding for individuals to travel to meetings in their area of research (not necessarily mathematical biology meetings).
   • The applicant should state how the proposed travel would contribute to the applicant's research; the meeting should include the applicant's area of research as a major component.
   • A recommendation from the applicant's supervisor or a colleague will be requested.
   • There will be a preference for supporting travelers who have no other sources of funding.
   • There will be a preference for supporting travel and registration of junior scientists (students, postdocs, and non-tenured junior faculty who do not have sufficient travel funds from other sources, such as grants). More senior faculty with insufficient travel funds may also be supported, but with a lower priority.
   • Funds may be used to support SMB members only; non-members may apply for membership when applying for the support. Equal opportunity will be afforded all members with no discrimination on the basis of gender, race, age or ethnic background.