MSA SPS Executive Board Nominations are due May 15th, 2025 11:59 PM EST. Apply through the QR code or this link: https://forms.gle/P3cxZnMuitjdN1U29
Author: admin
Where did you grow up?
India
Where are you currently doing research?
South Dakota State University
Who are you working with?
Shyam Solanki
Describe your research project.
I am working on Host-pathogen-soil interaction in soybean white mold Patho system.
What are your career goals/plans for after you’re done with your current position?
To be a post doc and continue in academia.
What is your favorite fungus and why?
White mold because of its ability to not produce sexual spores and still survive the harsh environment.
Who is your mycology role model?
Anton de Bary
Any great stories from fieldwork?
While doing my soil sampling, I had a fierce encounter with with a snake and deer at same time.
What is something inspiring or useful that you learned from your experiences in mycology?
Life is hard and be like fungus grow where ever you can find space.
What do you like to do in your free time? What are your hobbies?
I like to sing and go for hikes.
Which awards would you like to brag about?
Gold medalist in Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree.
Anything else you’d like to talk about, leave here!
I was first to report a new fusarium pathogen on soybean from US.
In this issue:
2 – General Announcements
3 – Student & Postdoc Membership Scholarship Recipients
4 – Musings & Mycologists Nominations
5 – MSA SPS Executive Board Nominations
6 – Boston Mycological Society Grants & Scholarships
7 – Mycology Graduate Student Assistantship
8 – Student Spotlight: Sachin Sharma
10 – MSA SPS Social Media Platform Change
11 – SPS Gift Ideas!
12 – MSA SPS Resources
The BMC offers Scholarships, Community Mycology & Outreach Grants, and Research Grants:
The information below will soon be posted at https://bostonmyco.org/grants-and-scholarships/
In the meantime, it is also available at https://hibbettlablog.wordpress.com/2025-bmc-grants-scholarships/
The deadline for all Grants and Scholarships is April 15, 2025.
SCHOLARSHIPS:
These awards are intended for BMC members to defray the cost of attending NEMF, NAMA, Eagle Hill, and other regional or national forays and short courses (i.e., these are partial scholarships). Scholarships are intended for members who would otherwise find it difficult to attend. Applicants are encouraged to consider ways that they could share the benefits of foray attendance with others who were not able to take part. For example, scholarship recipients might lead a foray or workshop in their local community, or write a foray report or review for the BMC website or the Bulletin. Awardees must agree to have their names and images posted on the BMC website.
Eligibility: Current BMC members (must have been members for at least one year)
Amount: up to $400.00
Number of awards: Varies
Application Materials: The scholarship proposal should include a statement of interests in fungi, reasons for wishing to participate in the foray, workshop, or course, justification of funding request, and a description of plans for sharing benefits of the foray or course, in a single PDF file (up to two pages).
Deadline: Applications for scholarships will be accepted on a rolling basis and will be reviewed periodically (May, September, and January). Applications for events in summer 2025 (will be reviewed starting April 15, 2025.
COMMUNITY MYCOLOGY & OUTREACH GRANTS:
These awards are intended to promote education, outreach, and artistic projects and activities that will raise awareness and accessibility of fungi, particularly for members of groups that are underrepresented in mycology (including the current BMC community) and youths. Awardees must agree to have their names and images posted on the BMC website and to share the results of their project, for example by writing a report on project activities and outcomes for the BMC Bulletin or website at the conclusion of the funded activity.
Eligibility: Individuals, non-profit organizations, and small independent businesses (however, commercial activities are not eligible for support).
Amount: $500-$1000 (for materials, supplies, and labor)
Number of awards: One or two, as budget allows
Application Materials: Project description, CV/resume, justification of funding request, and proposed use of funds including timetable and budget, in a single PDF file (up to three pages). Proposals should describe the intended audience and how the project will benefit that community.
Deadline: April 15, 2025
RESEARCH GRANTS:
The purpose of these awards is to enable students and independent scholars to pursue research in the broad field of mycology and mushroom culture. Awardees agree to have their names and images posted on the BMC website, and to write a report on project activities and outcomes for the BMC Bulletin or website at the conclusion of the funded activity. Presentation of results in a seminar would be welcome but is not a requirement.
Eligibility: Students and independent scholars
Amount: $500-$1000 (for research supplies and services)
Number of awards: One or two, as budget allows
Application Materials: Project description, CV/resume, justification of funding request, proposed use of funds including timetable, expected outcomes, and budget, in a single PDF file (up to three pages). Proposers should request a letter of support from a supervisor or colleague, to be submitted separately.
Deadline: April 15, 2025
HOW TO APPLY:
Send the application materials (PDF) as an e-mail attachment to grants@bostonmyco.org. Applicants for Research Grants should arrange to have a letter of support e-mailed directly to the same address. Please indicate the award that you are requesting in the subject line of the e-mail (i.e., NEMF, other Scholarship, Community Mycology & Outreach, or Research grants) and include your last name in the filename of your PDF. All applicants should include a mailing address (we will mail checks to successful applicants).
Where did you grow up?
San Francisco
Where are you currently doing research?
Clark University
Who are you working with?
David Hibbett
Describe your research project.
My past and current research has primarily focused on systematics and evolution of the genus of “Magic mushrooms” Psilocybe, which produce psychoactive compounds with high therapeutic potential for the treatment of myriad mental health issues. However, more broadly, I am is interested in exploring the complexity and evolution of fungal secondary metabolites, which have been utilized by humans throughout history for food, medicine, and in reclaiming polluted environments. Embracing the breadth of biological and chemical diversity that Fungi exhibit is paramount to understanding their role in nature, how they shape the environment around them, and how they influence the organisms the interact with.
Another unexplored realm of mycology is the functional development of morphology, such as how a mushroom is produced. For my post-doctoral research, I am working with Dr. David Hibbett and Dr. Javier Tabima, studying the systematics, functional genetics, and population structures of the gilled, and sometimes secotioid, polypore mushroom, Lentinus tigrinus.
What are your career goals/plans for after you’re done with your current position?
I am looking toward the future of starting my own research group, focusing on Fungal Diversity, Evolution, and development incorporating fieldwork and museum voucher collections.
What is core value that you apply to your science
Interdisciplinary collaboration is essential in the scientific world. My work has afforded me the opportunity to work with amazing people across the globe, including professional scientists, invaluably knowledgeable mycological enthusiasts, inquisitive member of the public, and numerous others from nearly every background imaginable. In an ever-growing complex landscape of scientific research and global connectivity, collaboration and open mindedness to new ideas is critical to the growth of future scientists.
What is something inspiring or useful that you learned from your experiences in mycology?
Mentorship and teaching are core values of the philosophy of science. As members of the scientific community, we are part of a social contract that obligates us to teach others. Good mentorship is critical to the education of students and the development of new career-oriented scientists. . Good mentorship goes beyond teaching scientific and laboratory skills to include life skills such as time management, communication, scientific communication, self-advocacy, work-life balance, mental and physical health, and ethics. These values can often be overlooked in academic mentorship; however, they are essential and unique to each student.
In this issue:
2 – General Announcements
3 – 2025 SPS Digital Art Contest
4 – SPORES Program Details
5 – PostDoc Spotlight
7 – SPS Gift Ideas!
8 – MSA SPS Resources