Ozarks Biological Graduate Society (OBGS)
Funding Guidelines
Those members seeking funding from OBGS should follow these guidelines, which are divided into the following categories:
Fund Raising | Who Can Apply | Deadlines | Availability | Allocation | Appropriate Use
All students who receive funding from the OBGS are required to participate in OBGS fund raising. By participating in fund raising events, the total balance in the OBGS account increases, and therefore the amount of money available to the student increases. A minimum of six hours of active involvement in an official OBGS fund raising activity is considered participation. If someone has not yet had an opportunity to participate in a fund raising event, they may pledge to participate in the future on the fund raising participation form. Applications that do not have a completed fund raising participation form will not be considered.
Fund raising participation form (PDF)
Any person requesting funding from OBGS must be a member of the Ozarks Biological Graduate Society. All graduate students in the Biology Department are automatically members of OBGS. Additionally, a graduate student may apply if:
1. Their primary advisor is a Biology Department faculty member, even though they are not specifically seeking a M.S. of Biology.
2. They are filing the application while currently meeting the above criteria, even though the conference at which their data will be presented will occur one semester after graduation.
Applications will be located in the OBGS folder in the Biology office file cabinet. The applications for funding must be received by the Treasurer of OBGS by the following dates each semester:
| Season | Deadline |
| Fall / Winter (September 1 - January 31) | September 1 |
| Spring (February 1 - May 31) | February 1 |
| Summer (June 1 - August 31) | June 1 |
One of the original purposes for the existence of OBGS was to establish a bank account, as an account is required when funds sought from other sources (e.g., SOFAC). Therefore, there should always be enough money in the bank to fulfill that purpose, and the minimum balance shall be $150.00.
As funds are normally insufficient to fund 100% of any conference, OBGS will only be able to supplement funding from other sources. In accordance with the policies of the Biology Department, a certain sequence should be followed when applying for funding. The application should apply to the following groups in the following order:
SOFAC (Non Presenters)
College of Natural and Applied Sciences
OBGS
If the application indicates that the above sequence has not been followed, the application will not be considered.
No one may apply for funding if fully funded from another source, and funds received may not exceed need. To insure that each generation of students can weigh the importance of having money for conferences against other expenses (social activates, etc.), the procedure for deterring the total amount of money available for funding will be found according to the following formula:
1. a - b = c, where
a = Total OBGS checking account balance
b = Minimum balance ($150.00)
c = Available funds
2. Determine what portion of c will be used to fund conference. This should be decided by the application deadline of each semester, and will be determined by a vote during an OBGS meeting.
The amount each group will receive will be determined by weighting the total cash of each group attending a scientific meeting. The total cost may include APPROVED expenses ONLY (see Appropriate Use of Funds, below). The award each group will receive will be determined by the following process:
1. Determine the total cost for all groups:
Total Cost = Cost (Group A) + Cost (Group B) + ...+ Cost (Group N)
2. Determining the percentage of the available funds each group will receive:
Group A% = Cost (Group A)/Total Cost
Group B% = Cost (Group B)/Total Cost
Group N% = Cost (Group N)/Total Cost
3. Determine amount each group will receive:
Group A award = (Group A%) X (Available Funds)
Group B award = (Group B%) X (Available Funds)
Group N award = (Group N%) X (Available Funds)
Each student must then supply their own receipts and fill out OBGS travel forms (available in the OBGS folder in the Biology Department file cabinet), which will be presented to the OBGS treasurer. A check will then be issued to reimburse each student on the appropriate use of funds (see below).
Example: Mary's group is going to a Turtle Symposium and the total cost will be $200. Bill's group is attending the Big Bluestem Conference, which will cost $500 total. Maureen's group is heading to Museum Evaluation Congress, which will cost $100 total. The total cost for all meetings is therefore $800. The OBGS has, for this hypothetical year, $500 to fund scientific meetings. Mary's group is 25% (200/800) of the total cost, so her group would be approved for 25% of the available funds, which in this case would be $125. Bills' group is 62.5% of the total cost, so they would be approved for $312.50. Maureen's group is 12.5% of the total cost, so her group would be approved for $62.00.
Funds received from OBGS may ONLY be used for travel, registration, or housing. Receipts must be supplied to the OBGS treasurer to verify expenses.