Purpose
To encourage more Iowa State University graduate students to participate in Organization for Tropical Studies Graduate Courses and to assist them with the cost of attending these graduate courses

Organization for Tropical Studies: (From the OTS Web site)
The Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) is a nonprofit consortium of about fifty universities, colleges, and research institutions worldwide. Founded in 1963, OTS’ mission is to provide leadership in education, research, and the responsible use of natural resources in the tropics. The Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) has operations in three countries and research stations and education programs in Costa Rica and South Africa. For the last half century, The Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) has been the world’s leading institution in the study of tropical biology, with more than 360 courses in tropical ecology, conservation and global health and over 8000 students trained, including many of the world’s leading tropical ecologists.

OTS graduate courses are designed to engage students in the formulation of feasible research questions, experimental design, data collection, analysis, and oral and written presentations. We do this through “field problems” in which students work with experts in the field to address ecological questions. Our courses provide hands-on research experience in plant eco-physiology, microbial ecology, molecular ecology, remote sensing, rapid biodiversity inventories, and other cutting edge topics. Nothing can replace the hands-on experience of a field-based course in the tropics!

https://tropicalstudies.org/graduate-programs/

Eligibility
Iowa State University graduate students with a major professor with their tenure home in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are eligible to apply. Recipients must be planning to enroll in Iowa State University in the semester following the OTS graduate course.

Amount
Maximum of $1,500 for courses with a duration of three weeks or less. Maximum of $3,000 for courses with a duration greater than three weeks. Funds will be placed on student’s U-Bill after confirmation of acceptance into an OTS Graduate Course. This scholarship is not combinable with other CALS Global Programs grants or scholarships.

Application
Applications will be accepted at any time. Please submit a cover letter and resume to Shelley Taylor, CALS Global Programs - Study Abroad Office sztaylor@iastate.edu