16 June 2025— Earlier this year, PhD student Yitang Cai presented their research at the General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union in Vienna, Austria (EGU25). Their SSA Global Travel Grant “meant a lot,” they said because it enabled them to participate in the conference and forge new connections with other researchers in the global seismological community.
Cai’s research at Chalmers University of Technology focuses on how surface mass changes influence earthquake activity. Attending EGU25 gave them the opportunity to engage with experts across related disciplines, “to learn from others and engage with perspectives beyond my immediate niche,” they said.
Cai’s most memorable moment? “After four hours of presenting and discussing my poster, just as I was about to pack up, a researcher stopped by with their PhD students. One question led to another, and we ended up having dinner together,” they recalled, adding that the group’s conversations about research struggles and ideas reminded them “that science is about curiosity and connection, not just data and results.”
The SSA Global Travel Grant Program supports early-career and student scientists like Cai by providing funding to attend international conferences, build global networks and share their work with broader audiences. Open every February and July, SSA helps researchers from around the world connect across borders and disciplines—strengthening the future of seismology, one conversation at a time.
Also accepting applications this July, is SSA’s Community Grants program. Umar Afegbua Kadiri of the Centre for Geodesy and Geodynamics Nigeria and Maureen Chioma Umeh of the University of Nigeria Nsukka applied their February 2025 Community Grant toward the creation of the “Training Course on Seismological Data Acquisition and Processing Using SeisComP Software.”
Held at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, which hosts one of Nigeria’s active seismic stations, the five-day training in May focused on real-time data acquisition and analysis using the software, with applications spanning local and global networks.
“The SSA Community Grant Program is a valuable resource that has fostered genuine seismological engagement and continues to make dreams a reality,” said Kadiri, who created the workshop with Umeh in response to the rising seismic activity across Nigeria and surrounding regions
Sixty-three student and staff participants learned how to install and configure SeisComP Software and acquire and process seismic data. Many praised the workshop for enhancing their understanding of seismology as well as equipping them with practical skills for their future endeavors in the field.
Thanks to the SSA Community Grant, the Applied Geophysics Department now plans to establish a global earthquake monitoring center—a major milestone for the region.
“This is seismology in practice,” Kadiri said. “This is our humble and little way to expand its frontiers to the under-represented communities around the world.”
Apply for a Community Grant during the next application cycle, this July.
SSA grant programs are made possible by generous community donations. Make a gift today.