Volunteer Your Time | Diversity In STEM Conference

Giving Back to SACNAS

Each year hundreds of members support our student community by participating in various reviewing and mentoring opportunities. Giving back time and feedback to our community empowers the future generation of STEM and helps uplift the SACNAS mission of fostering success for our members.

Here are just a few of the ways you can give back your time and energy to SACNAS:

Before the Conference

Review Student Applications

Applications reviewers are professionals with a bachelor’s degree or higher who volunteer to review 2022 SACNAS student applications online PRIOR to the conference.

Note: This is a pre-conference opportunity in the Spring and Summer. Volunteers are  not eligible for discounted or waived conference registration. Undergraduate Students are not eligible to participate as reviewers.

As a research presentation application reviewer you will receive: 

Approximately 15 abstracts in your discipline to review 
Guidelines to score assigned abstracts

Volunteer time: 

Each abstract takes approximately 20 minutes to review. Total time = Approximately 5 hours between July 25th and August 12th (Summer Period).

Questions: Email presentations@sacnas.org 

As a travel scholarship application reviewer you will receive:: 

Approximately 20 scholarship applications to review 
Guidelines to score assigned applications

Volunteer time: 

Each application takes approximately 20 minutes to review. Total time = Approximately 6 hours between July 25th and August 12th (Summer Period).

Questions: Email travelscholarships@sacnas.org

Review Session Proposals

Session reviewers are professionals with a bachelor’s degree or higher who volunteer to review session proposals submitted for the 2022 SACNAS National Diversity in STEM (NDiSTEM) Conference. They are a crucial part of the session selection process that ensures variety and quality in conference programming. Reviewers have two weeks to complete their assignments on their own time.

Note: This is a pre-conference opportunity from July 25th to August 12th (Summer Period). Volunteers are not eligible for discounted or waived conference registration. Undergraduate students, and persons affiliated with a session proposal are not eligible to participate as session reviewers.

As a session reviewer, you will receive:

Approximately 10 proposals to review that relate to your expertise or experience
Guidelines to score assigned proposals
Confirmation of work completed

Volunteer time:

Each proposal takes approximately 20 minutes to review. Total time = Approximately 3.5 hours between July 25th and August 12th (Summer Period)

Questions: Email sessions@sacnas.org

During the Conference

Mentor Judge

For many students getting direct mentorship can make all the difference in validating and motivating them to persist in their STEM journey. By serving as a mentor judge, volunteers provide constructive feedback and motivation to student research presenters, including many first-time presenters and first-generation college students. In addition to giving back to student SACNISTAs, this is a great opportunity to get exposed to new research in your field, as well as networking and recruiting talented students. 

Time commitment:  Approximately 2 hours  during the conference October 27 to 29, 2022 in Puerto Rico.

Eligibility: 

Motivated to provide positive and constructive feedback to student presenters 
Must be a STEM professional with a
Master’s degree or PhD 
Currently in a Master’s or PhD program? You will be assigned to undergraduate poster presentations 
Previous experience in judging/mentoring similar events preferred but not required! 
Must be a registered attendee for the 2022 SACNAS NDiSTEM conference

IMPORTANT: Mentor judges are not eligible for discounted or waived conference registration 

Requesting funding from your institution? Let them know you’ll be serving as a mentor! 

Conversations with Scientists

Conversations with Scientists is SACNAS's signature mentoring event that has been occurring for over 30 years. In this 90-minute program, undergraduate and graduate students can meet and speak with mentors in their own fields. Participants are divided up based on discipline, and then, by sub-discipline. Mentors answer specific questions, and also share their own educational and professional stories.

Time commitment: Approximately 90 minutes during the conference on Thursday, October 27, from 12:30-2 PM in Puerto Rico.

IMPORTANT: Conversation with Scientists mentors are not eligible for discounted or waived conference registration 

Requesting funding from your institution? Let them know you’ll be serving as a mentor! 

Conference Quick Links

Travel Scholarships

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Research Presentations

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Return to Conference Home

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Conference Quick Links

Travel Scholarships

Learn More

Research Presentations

Learn More

Return to Conference Home

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Conference Volunteer

Giving Back to SACNAS

Before the Conference