The MagLab hopes to mitigate some of this strain with the implementation of a new dependent care travel grant program. Subject to the availability of funding, the MagLab offers small grants up to $800 per calendar year for qualified short-term, dependent-care expenses incurred by eligible recipients when traveling.
Who qualifies?
The term "early career scientist" includes graduate students, postdocs, and scientists with fewer than 10 years of active professional work since receiving a Ph.D. To be eligible, a scientist must be:
- An early career user traveling to a Magnet Lab facility in Tallahassee, Gainesville or Los Alamos to conduct an experiment as part of a user program (not including employees of Florida State University, the University of Florida or Los Alamos National Laboratory).
- A Magnet Lab early career scientist employed by any of the three Magnet Lab partner institutions who is selected to present results at scientific meetings, conferences or workshops.
Who qualifies as a dependent?
Awards may be used for either child or adult dependent care, or for extra dependent care at home while the grant recipient is traveling. The funds can also be used toward on-site care or transportation costs for either dependents or caregivers. The recipient will certify that the requested funds for dependent care are extra expenses due to the travel, and are above and beyond normal dependent care expenses (for example, day care or home nursing costs).
A dependent for purposes of this program is defined as 1) a child, newborn through 12 years of age (or any physically or mentally disabled child under the age of 18 who is unable to care for himself or herself), who resides with the applicant and for whom the applicant provides primary support, or 2) a disabled adult/elder (spouse, parent, parent-in-law, or grandparent) who spends at least eight hours per day in the applicant's home and for whom the applicant has responsibility.
Application information
Eligible recipients must apply in advance of their travel using the Magnet Lab Dependent Care Travel Grant Program online application. A standing committee, appointed by the MagLab Diversity Committee, will review applications. All applications are due on the 1st of the month and notifications will be sent by the 15th of that month.
Payment of these grants will be made post-travel through either the FSU Research Foundation or the FSU Foundation. Please note that this type of funding is considered taxable by the IRS, and will result in the issuance of an IRS Form 1099 to all recipients who receive awards in excess of $500.
For more information about this program, contact Jason Kitchen or Bettina Roberson.