Welcome Aboard!

Welcome to the Philippines PIRE Project team!

You have been selected, received your offer letter and accepted.  Here are some things you need to know and do.
The project administrator at Old Dominion University and will be your primary point of contact for all things regarding this research experience.  The project administrator will inform you of program dates, travel information and lodging arrangements.  The project administrator will conduct video call training sessions prior to departure with all the REU’s to ensure readiness and safety.  You will have the opportunity to meet some of your future collaborators.  Your faculty mentor may designate someone from his lab to be your point of contact for things that may be awkward for the project administrator to handle from Norfolk VA.
  • Dr. Kent Carpenter is the Principal Investigator in charge of the project and the faculty mentor for ODU students.
  • Dr. Chris Bird is the faculty mentor for TAMUCC students.
  • Dr. Malin Pinsky is the faculty mentor for RU students.
  • Dr. Beth Polidoro is the faculty mentor for ASU students.
  • Dr. Eric Garcia will be your supervisor in the Philippines.
Contact information is available here.

Now that you have accepted the appointment please do the following things (items A-F):

A) Travel documents. Please download and complete the following forms.  Return the completed forms to the project administrator electronically.  Some you’ll have to print and sign, but please scan and email them.
  1. Participation Contract, Waiver of Liability, Assumption of Risk and Indemnity Agreement
  2. Emergency Contact Information and Consent-to-Treat Form
  3. Health Information Form
  4. Participant Code of Conduct. The project administrator will send this to you
  5. Travel Release complete if under 21
  6. Stipend pay schedule.  The project administrator will send this to you
  7. W-9 form
  8.  Register to travel with Old Dominion University Travel Registry System
  9. Copy of CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card
  10. Register with One Health no more than 3 days prior to departure
  11. Obtain RT-PCR test 48 hours prior to departure and submit on One Health.
B)  IUCN Training. Prior to arriving at Dumaguete, you must complete International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Regional Assessor training.  To complete your IUCN training:
  1. Visit conservation.org to create a free account
  2. Complete IUCN red list training modules 1-3 and 7
  3. Complete the IUCN Regional Assessor’s test
  4. Send an electronic copy of your Regional Assessor’s certificate to the project administrator.
C) CITI courses.  In order to work with or around animals, you must complete 4 courses required by ODU the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.  To complete you CITI training:
  1. Visit citiprogram.org and log in or create a free account.  If you are at RU or ASU click “log in through my organization”, all others click register, then add your institution.
  2. After logging in click courses.  The next page should look like this:
  3. Click “View Courses”
  4. At the bottom of the next page click “Add a Course”
  5.   Note that you will add the courses listed here:
    1. Working with IACUC it’s called investigators, Staff and Students)
    2. Working with Fish
    3. Wildlife Research
    4. Reducing Pain and Distress in Laboratory Mice and Rats
  6. Click CITI Animal Care and Use, the click next:
  7. On the next page check:
    1. “Working with the IACUC Course” is required if you plan to use lab animals in your work
    2. Working with Fish
    3. Wildlife Research
  8. The courses should then appear on your active course list.  If they don’t repeat the process.  If you have already completed the courses, the system may not add them again
  9. At the bottom of the courses page, you’ll see your completed courses.  Print the 2 page “Course Completion Report” as a .pdf file and email them to the project administrator.  This document contains detailed data about your performance.  Do not send the one page Course Completion Certificates.
D) Entry visa. Obtain a Visa from the Republic of the Philippines, after the project has issued your airplane tickets and employment letter:
  1. Applicants must fully comply with the laws and regulations of the Republic of the Philippines
  2. Go to the Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines website to start the Visa application
  3. Apply for a 9(A) Temporary Visitor’s Visa.  The Embassy of the Philippines lists the following requirements:
    1. Actual passport of applicant (valid at least 6 months from return date) and one (1) photocopy of the data page
    2. Duly-accomplished Non-Immigrant Visa application form, typed or printed legibly in black or blue ink, and notarized if sent by mail
    3. Travel Itinerary (applicant must be a holder of a round-trip/onward flight ticket out of the Philippines)
    4. One (1) colored photo, 2” x 2”, taken within six months before the date of application, showing a clear front view of applicant’s face, with a white background. No sleeveless attire. Blurred or low quality photos are not accepted.
    5. Letter from employer or sponsor of the trip, indicating its specific purpose or nature and length of stay (inclusive dates) in the Philippines, for Tourist Visa (for business only)
    6. Self-addressed return envelope, with appropriate stamps for express or priority mail with tracking numbers via US Postal Service, or with prepaid mailing envelope from private courier of choice (except FedEx), if Passport with Visa is to be mailed back
    7. Visa fee, according to fee schedule ($30.00), payable in cash or money order made payable to “Embassy of the Philippines” (or “Philippine Consulate General”, if application is made at one of the Philippine Consulates General in the U.S.). Personal checks and credit cards are not accepted
  4. Send a copy of your Visa and your receipts electronically to the project administrator
  5. Visitor Visas are for 59 days, an extension of the visa will be filed in person after arrival.
E) Orientation. Participate in the REU Orientation lectures.  Orientations are provided weekly via designated video conferencing and presentation software.  The project administrator will schedule the times and dates.
The schedule is as follows:
  1. Meet and greet.  You will meet each other and the some of the staff scientists.  Be prepared to introduce yourselves and let everyone get to know you
  2. Project overview and summer research goals
  3. Introduction to Filipino Culture
  4. Beginner Cebuano and Tagalog
  5. Safety training
  6. Pre departure travel brief
F) Project proposal presentation.  Create a proposal for your project and present it at a virtual conference.  There are three deliverables due prior to the virtual conference: a slide show presentation of your project proposal, a document with your abstract and a document with your budget.  Work with your PI and PIRE project staff to develop these deliverables.  Please email these files to your PI and the project administrator.  Please see below for a description of the requirements for each.
  1. Slide show presentation.  Presentations will be between 9 and 12 minutes and will have a 3 minute question and answer period after.  A debrief of the presentation presided by the project PI’s will follow.  The total target time is 30 minutes, but the debrief will continue at the discretion of the PI’s. REUs will be ready to take notes during the debrief. The presentation must include the following elements:
    • A title slide with your project title, your name and your PI’s name
    • Introduction or background for your project – includes the hypothesis to be tested and synthesizes the information necessary to understand the project and the goals
    • Methods and materials – covers an explanation of laboratory procedures, materials to be used and computing techniques for data analysis; lists research compliances as necessary, one is ODU IACUC Field Protocol #1625995-8, another is your institution’s OSHA lab safety regulations
    • Significance – a discussion that considers how the work coincides with the goals of the Philippines PIRE Project and contributes to the advancement of scientific knowledge, the good of humanity, or the furtherance of conservation; tables and figures would go here if necessary
    • Expected results – similar to a conclusion in a scientific lab report; what do you think the outcome of your research will be and why?; tables and figures would go here if necessary
    • Acknowledgements – recognize the PIRE staff that are assisting you with your project, please acknowledge NSF award #1743711
    • References
  2. Written abstract.  The abstract briefly conveys what the study is about in a form comprehensible to a general audience. It includes a hypothesis or objective of the study, an overview of methods, and a brief statement of expected results and their significance. The abstract avoids acronyms, abbreviations, and technical jargon specific to the field.  This will be a living document that will change as your project develops and progresses to publication
  3. Written budget proposal to itemize major expenses.  The budget will list the sources of funds to cover the expenses.  One source is NSF award #1743711.