Attending a conference with a child or other dependent (or arranging for additional at-home caregiver services) brings substantial financial costs, including travel and lodging for the dependent. This involves extensive logistical planning and can be cost-prohibitive, thus limiting opportunities for scientists with caregiver responsibilities to present their research and network with other scientists.

The purpose of these awards is to support attendees who face challenges in attending the ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meetings due to expenses related directly to their responsibilities as the primary caregiver for a child or other dependent.

Five individual grants in the amount of $500 each will be awarded for use toward Annual Meeting-related caregiving expenses, such as day care during the conference, flight expenses of the dependent accompanying the awardee to the meeting, or temporary caregiver costs related to meeting attendance.

Individuals will be selected, according to the following areas and priorities:

1. Early career attendees will be given priority
2. Number of days attending the meeting
3. Applicants incurring additional caregiver expenses that wouldn't occur otherwise
4. Applicants presenting in the oral symposium will be given priority over poster presentations with first authors prioritized over collaborators
5. Employment status - Applicants working full time
6. Applicants attending activities such as editorial board meetings, journal review board meetings or other tri-society related committee meetings beyond attending or presenting at the ASA-CSSA-ASSA symposia
7. Years of ASA, CSSA, and/or SSSA membership - New members given priority

Thank you to the Agronomic Science Foundation for their sponsorship of this award.