The National Association of Science Writers invites all interested members to apply for a Laura Van Dam Travel Fellowship to this June's meeting of the World Federation of Science Journalists in London.

Two fellowships, each in the amount of $2,500, will be awarded in memory of past NASW President Laura Van Dam, who died in 2006. Laura was a strong supporter of this organizations commitment to international science writing and, in fact, helped organize the group's first meeting in Montreal in 2004. Our goal is not only to encourage ties between NASW and the World Federation as a way of helping the development of our craft around the world, but also to give the two selected Van Dam fellows a chance to pursue story opportunties in the U.K. especially at a time when travel budgets are tight for many writers.

General information and a preliminary program for the London meeting can be found at: http://www.wcsj2009.org/ The conference is scheduled for June 30-July 2, 2009, and the travel grant is designed to cover roundtrip airfare and contribute substantially to lodging costs.Those who would like to be considered for a Van Dam fellowship should send a resume and a letter, which explains:

1) How this trip would fit into the kind of reporting you are now doing

2) What stories you might do in the U.K. or Europe that cannot be done here and potential markets for them.

3) What you hope to get out of attending the conference itself

All applications should be sent to director@nasw.org NO LATER than Feb. 18, 2009. Please include "Van Dam Fellowship" in the subject line. Robert Lee Hotz, a past NASW president, and Deborah Blum, who serves as NASW international liaison, in concert with NASW officers, will make final decisions. Successful applicants will be notified by March 2, in plenty of time for WCSJ's early registration deadline.

WCSJ is also offering its own fellowships to the meeting. See http://www.wcsj2009.org/