What conference is the summer 2025 cohort attending and why should I apply?

This cohort will attend the annual Botany conference! This conference is a great opportunity to connect with biologists and environmental scientists that work with plants. You will have the opportunity to present your research, attend scientific talks, meet diverse students, faculty, and researchers from institutions from around the US and even internationally! You will be able to talk to graduate students about their institutions and experiences, and find out about their graduate programs. You might even find a potential graduate research advisor you want to keep in touch with! 

Attending a national conference like Botany has value even if you are not planning a research career or are not interested specifically in plants. You will gain experience in presenting your work and yourself in a professional context, improving your interview skills and developing your understanding of the broader context of your research project. It’s a great resume builder whether you are applying for graduate school, medical school or another health professions graduate program, or applying for a job in a biological or related field. Conferences are for everyone!!

You will connect with your cohort of BCEENET student researchers before the conference in pre-conference training, so you have a team of familiar folks to hang out with at the conference.

When and where is Botany 2025?

There has been a location change! Botany will still take place Saturday July 26th - Wednesday July 30th 2025 but will now be held in Palm Springs, CA at the Palm Springs Convention Center and Renaissance Hotel.

What is the application deadline for this cohort?

A second round of applications are now being accepted until January 15th, 2025.

What do I need to apply?

Check out our for students page for information on eligibility and how to apply! You will need to answer a few questions as well as prepare a draft abstract for your project. If you need help drafting an abstract, here are some examples of abstracts from Botany 2024 and check out our page on how to write an abstract. If you have additional questions please contact the Conference Cohort Team at bceenet.cohorts@gmail.com.

Who attends Botany?

Botany is organized by the Botanical Society of America, the American Fern Society, the American Society of Plant Taxonomists, the Society of Herbarium Curators, the International Association for Plant Taxonomy, and the American Bryological and Lichenological Society. The conference brings together botanists from all over the country to share their research in plant ecology, evolution, taxonomy, and biodiversity. 

Does my project have to be about plants?

No. While this conference is focused on plants, all BCEENET CURE projects are welcome and encouraged to apply. This conference has educational and natural history topics, so the BCEENET CUREs are a great way to demonstrate the broad use of natural history collections at this conference. If you have any questions about matching your project to this conference, please reach out to the Conference Cohort Team at bceenet.cohorts@gmail.com. 

I start graduate school in the fall, can I still join the cohort?

Yes! As long as you will not be enrolled in a post-baccalaureate or graduate program at the time of the conference you are welcome to join. If you are currently enrolled in a dual undergraduate and graduate program and have not yet completed your undergraduate degree, you are still eligible to apply. If you have questions about this, please reach out to the Conference Cohort Team at bceenet.cohorts@gmail.com.