Frequently Asked Questions
about applying for participation in the IAI/UM Summer Institute

Page last Updated:	Wednesday, April 11, 2001 at 4:33 PM
Contact:	Guillermo Podestá (gpodesta@rsmas.miami.edu), Summer Institute Science Coordinator Telephone:+1.305.361.4142

Question:	I heard that only people with doctorates or lots of experience can participate in the Summer Institute. Is that true?
Answer:	We search for participants who are highly motivated and have an open mind and an interest to learn how different disciplines attack problems. If you believe you have those characteristics, please consider applying. Participants in previous Institutes have ranged from graduate students to senior scientists. You can find brief biographic profiles of past Institute participants in the WWW site (go to the home page for the Institutes 1999 and 2000).
Question:	My area of training is not listed among the recommended fields of study for Summer Institute applicants. May I still apply for participation?
Answer:	The fields of study listed in the Institute announcement are only meant as general guidelines, and do not exclude other training areas. Ultimately, YOU will have to decide if your training and, especially, your current activities are relevant to the Institute theme (and, by the way, you will have to justify that decision in your Statement of Interest). If you still have questions, please contact the Summer Institute Science Coordinator or any of the Institute staff.
Question:	I am a researcher (or student) at institution X in country Y, and am interested in attending the Summer Institute. May I apply for participation?
Answer:	Applicants must be affiliated with a research, educational, or resource management institution, governmental or not, in an IAI Ratified Member Country. You may be temporarily in another institution, for example as a graduate student, but must have a permanent affiliation with a Ratified Member Country. At the time of writing (January 2001) the IAI Ratified Member Countries include: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, The United States of America, Uruguay and Venezuela. However, for an up-to-date list of Ratified Countries, visit the IAI WWW page.
Question:	How do I know if Institute organizers received my application?
Answer:	Frequently we are contacted by applicants wanting to confirm if their packages have been received. ALL applications received will be acknowledged via an e-mail message to the address listed on the application form. This message also will indicate if the application was considered complete or any piece was missing. If you have NOT received such a message within a reasonable period after mailing your application, please contact Ms. Kolaczynski, Logistics Coordinator at rosanne@rsmas.miami.edu.
Question:	Do I need to translate my curriculum vitae?
Answer:	The instructions state that ALL application materials (with the exception of transcript and diplomas) must be in English. In the past, we have reviewed applications with CVs in other languages, but there is no guarantee that we will do that with any application that does not fulfill the requeisites. Furthermore, not all reviewers are familiar with the four IAI languages, so your application may not be reviewed as thoroughly and your chances of being selected may be lowered.
Question:	What do you mean by "include University transcripts or diplomas"?
Answer:	What we call transcripts is a listing of courses taken with the corresponding grades obtained. This is sometimes called "certificado analítico" in Spanish or "histórico escolar" in Portuguese. We use these transcripts as one of several predictors of an applcant's performance during the Institute. For that reason, simply sending a copy of your diploma is not enough. We may know you have graduated, but also we would like to see how well you did in your studies. Applicants having graduated more than 7-8 years prior to application, may request a waiver of this requirement via e-mail. See this question.
Question:	Do I need to translate my University transcripts or diplomas?
Answer:	If the transcripts (listing of courses taken with the corresponding grades) are in any of the four official IAI languages (Portuguese, French, English, and Spanish), then you DO NOT need to translate them. If they are in any other language, please provide an English translation. The same consideration applies for proof of English proficiency. All other application materials must be in English.
Question:	I graduated so long ago that I cannot easily get a copy of my transcripts. However, I feel young at heart and want to apply for participation in the Summer Institute. Do I need to provide a copy of my transcripts?
Answer:	Preference will be given to applicants in the early stages of their careers (within 8 years of graduation). Nevertheless, participation by scientists, resource managers, or policy makers in later stages of their careers is also encouraged, because of the unique perspective and insights they may provide. Senior scientists can get in touch with the Science Coordinator to get a waiver of the university transcript requirement.
Question:	I cannot download the electronic versions of the application forms. Can you send me one via e-mail?
Answer:	Sure! If you have problems retrieving the forms via the WWW, just send e--mail, fax, or call the Science Coordinator, and we will send you a copy in any way you request it. If you want a copy of the form sent via e-mail, please let us know what format you prefer (Word uncompressed, Word zipped, PDF, PostScript).
Question:	Will I find out the result of the selection process even if I have not been chosen to participate?
Answer:	Yes. ALL participants will be notified of the results of the selection process, regardless of the result.The end of the selection process will be announced at the Institute's WWW site, and applicants should be notified shortly after.
Question:	My application package has not been received by Institute organizers. What should I do?
Answer:	The first thing you should do BEFORE mailing the application is to make a duplicate of all application materials and keep it in a safe place. If, for some reason, your application package is lost, you may send the duplicate without having to assemble all the documents again. If you use a courier service be sure to write down the airbill or shipment number. Many courier services offer package tracking through the Internte, but you will need to know the airbill number. Finally, make sure you fill out the electronic registration form after you have mailed your application. This is the only way we have of knowing if a package has been sent and never got to Miami. By the way, if a package is lost and you contact the organizers, we can still accept your application if a duplicate is received within a reasonable period (say, 7 days) after the deadline.
Question:	Courier services are expensive in my country. Do I need to send all the application materials by courier?
Answer:	We understand that courier services can be expensive. However, they have the advantage that they can track a package. Think of all the effort you put into gathering all the necessary application information! Do you want to risk wasting that effort because your package got lost in the mail? If you absolutely need to send your application via regular mail or cannot afford a courier, PLEASE (a) send the package as early as possible, and (b) fill out the registration form so we know the package is on its way.