GMDI encourages our international members to attend the 2026 GMDI Conference in St. Louis, Missouri.  The conference will be held April 22- 25, 2026. 

We recognize that financial constraints may present difficulties for international members to attend. With this in mind, we are offering you the opportunity to apply for partial support, in the form of a complimentary meeting registration, to attend this meeting.

Eligibility:

• To be eligible to apply for this funding you must be a GMDI member and a current resident of a country with an emerging/developing economy.

Requirements:

Awardees will be asked to do the following:

• Participate in the International Workshop scheduled for Friday, April 24, 2026.  You must attend either Session 1 (1:30-2:30 PM) or Session 2 (3:30-4:30 PM)
• Share IEM educational resources for patients and families that you have developed and/or use in your clinical practice.

Awards:

• Up to 10 awards will be granted.
• Awardees will receive one (1) complimentary meeting registration ($475 value).

Application:

• Applications must be submitted by December 15, 2025
• CLICK HERE to apply

Notification:

• We will notify you in early January to let you know if you have been accepted for this award.
• Chosen recipients of this travel award will be responsible for obtaining any necessary travel VISAs. GMDI will provide a letter of invitation if needed

About Dr. AcostaPhyllis B Acosta received her Doctor of Public Health in 1969. She was actively involved in the nutrition management of inborn errors of metabolism since the early 1960s. From 1970 to 1986, she taught dietetics and in 1987 she was appointed the Director of Metabolic Diseases at Ross Laboratories. There she was instrumental in the development and launch of 17 products for patients with inborn errors of metabolism.
Phyllis received many honors during her career, including the first to receive a Lydia J Roberts Fellowship in Public Health Nutrition in 1967, a listing in the Outstanding Young Women of America in 1968, the Outstanding Alumnus of Achievement from Andrews University in 1985, and fellowships in the Volwiler Society of Abbott Laboratories in 2001 and the American Society of Nutrition Sciences in 2002. While with Abbott, she received Presidential Awards in 1989 and 2001, Awards of Excellence in 1989 and 1990, and a Chairman's Award and recognition as a National Employee of Distinction in 1993.

Phyllis authored over 150 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and made over 200 presentations internationally. She helped develop the Ross Nutrition Support Protocols handbook which is in its 4th edition and has been a valuable resource for dietitians managing metabolic disorders.  Dr. Acosta was instrumental in designing the bi-annual Advances in Metabolic Research conference series which is very well received by the metabolic community. 

The Phyllis B. Acosta Scholarship Fund for Advancing the Education of Metabolic Dietitians was established by GMDI in 2018. Contributions to this fund are used to support the educational mission of GMDI.

2026 GMDI Conference Phyllis B Acosta Travel Award
GMDI encourages members to attend the 2026 GMDI Conference. We recognize that it can sometimes be difficult to secure funding to attend the conference.

With this in mind, we are offering you the opportunity to apply for partial support, in the form of a complimentary meeting registration, to attend this meeting.

Eligibility:

• Current GMDI member
• First time GMDI Conference attendee
• RD with 2-5 years of clinical experience in IEM

Awards:

• Two awards will be granted.
• Awardees will receive one (1) complimentary meeting registration ($475 value).

Application:

• Applications must be submitted by December 15, 2025
• Applicants will be asked to write a brief statement describing the focus of their clinical work in metabolics.
• CLICK HERE to apply. 

Notification:

• We will notify you in early January to let you know if you have been accepted for this award.