Student Opportunities Offered by SCIFTS

SCIFTS and IFT offer opportunities to students in the local area. Jill Golden, Student Affairs Chair, along with Erin Vaughan and Suraj Meharwade, students, have created this video explaining the many opportunities for students through SCIFTS and IFT. Please share this short video with at Food Science Club meetings.

To view the video, please click here.

Student Club Funding

Food Science Clubs are eligible for $500 each year to use for any of the following:

  • Speakers, including their travel and lodging and other expenses including room reservations and audio visual equipment
  • Banners or table drapes
  • Posters or flyers advertising club events
  • Clothes such as club hats or shirts
  • Other similar items
  • Funds may not be used for food

In order to receive your funding, you must submit in writing a proposal to the Section Chair. Include in the proposal the name of your college, club name, contact information including phone and mailing address, and a short paragraph describing how you will use the funds along with an estimate of what it will cost.
The funding request must be received by the section chair at least one week ahead of the meeting. A representative of the club must attend the board meeting and present your proposal to the Board. If you received funds in the past, please include a short description of how you used the money. Apply early in the year so you can use your funds. Contact your Student Representative if you have questions.

Phil Bates Scholarship Awards

SCIFTS will be offering scholarships for the 2024-2025 academic year. The awards will provide financial assistance to High School, Undergraduate and Graduate Students who are attending or planning to attend a college or university in SCIFTS geographical area (Southern California) majoring in Food Science.

The Phil Bates Application for Scholarship will be available soon.

Wayne Bidlack Scholarship Award

SCIFTS will be offering the Wayne Bidlack scholarship for the 2022-2023 academic year. The award will provide financial assistance to a Graduate Student currently attending Cal Poly Pomona. A $2,000 grant will be awarded to a qualified student who is currently working toward a graduate degree in Nutrition & Food Science.

The Wayne Bidlack Application for Scholarship will be available soon.

Education and Research Grants

SCIFTS Education and Research Grants are available to educational research institutions that advance food science, nutrition and closely related technologies within the SCIFTS’ geographical area. Funding proposals will be evaluated on the potential contribution to further the knowledge in the fields of food science and nutrition, and on the potential contribution to develop students as competent scientific investigators or educators in these disciplines. The emphasis is to enhance programs that will benefit a large segment of the student population.

Education and Research Grants Application Available Here

Education and Research Grants awarded in May, 2023.

UNIVERSITYPROFESSORGRANTPURPOSE
San Diego StateDr. Jing Zhao$32,288.04 Purchase of Gerstal Twister Thermal Desorption Unit for characterizing the flavor profiles of novel plant-based proteins.
Chapman UniversityDr. Hellberg$16,596.00Purchase a Nano Drop One Microvolume UV-Vis spectrophotometer for use in food safety and food authentication testing.
Chapman UniversityDr. Miklavcic$14,000.00Purchase a Zeta View PMX-120 Nanoparticle Tracking analyzer to assess how Pastuerization and Homonginization affect the content and composition of extracellular vesicles in bovine milk.
Orange Coast CollegeMichelle Tu-Kubo$14,244.51Purchase a water activity meter and moisture analyzer for use in teaching in the Food Science lab.
Cal Poly PomonaDr. Davidov-Pardo$47,323.52Purchase a LS 13 320 XR Laser Diffraction Particle Analyzer for characterization of plant-based products.