Program Enhancement Funds

*At the discretion of the Program Co-Chairs and not eligible more than once every 3 years.
**Emeritus = not deriving income from entomological consulting or similar employment and no access to outside funding for travel to the Annual Meeting.

*At the discretion of the Program Co-Chairs and not eligible more than once every 3 years.

• PEF may be used to defray any cost of an ESA member residing in North America (US, Canada, and Mexico) under the following three circumstances: 
  • ESA emeritus members who are invited participants in symposia at the Annual Meeting and who are genuinely retired and do not have access to outside funding to cover travel to the meeting. This "emeritus status" refers to those who are not deriving income from consulting or other kinds of employment. 
  • Student Transition and Early Professional members, also referred to collectively as Early Career Professionals or ECPs, are eligible to receive funding. Students and regular members residing in North America are not eligible.
  • Presenters from historically marginalized communities underrepresented in science including, but not limited to women, persons with disabilities, veterans, low-income, first generation in the presenter’s immediate family to attend college or graduate school, LGBTQIA+, and underrepresented minority groups in Canada, Mexico, and the United States (including but not limited to, blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, Indigenous peoples, American Indians or Alaska Natives, First Nations, Inuit and Metis). 
• Any ESA member residing outside of North America (US, Canada, and Mexico) is eligible for funding.
• PEF may be used to attract scientists from other disciplines and may be used for non-ESA members, either within North America (US, Canada, and Mexico) or international, who are not entomologists and who would not otherwise participate in the Annual Meeting.
• Non-ESA members devoting more than 50% of their research, teaching, extension, or administrative time to entomological topics would normally be expected to be ESA members and, therefore, are not eligible for PEF.
• Qualified recipients are eligible for PEF only once during any 3-year period.

All requests must be conveyed to the Program Co-Chairs, through the Conference Harvester system. Information on requesting funds, including the request deadline will be provided by June 20, 2024. Funding requests will be due by July 19, 2024.

The Program Co-Chairs will determine the distribution of PEF and will notify the organizers and the presenter of their decision. All decisions by the Program Co-Chairs are final. Decisions will be announced by August 14, 2024.

Organizers should not make any promises to speakers regarding the amount of PEF support that ESA will be able to provide as funding is limited. Below is the average percentage of funding awarded per program category:

Should a PEF recipient cancel their participation, any funding provided to them will be placed back into the general PEF pool for reallocation by the Program Co-Chairs.

After October 1, 2024, speaker substitutions will no longer be accepted. 

PEF payments via check will be provided onsite at registration during the Annual Meeting. Requests for payment via wire transfer may be made onsite during the conference to take place after the meeting.