This proposal is for partial funding for the Sixth International Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology: Education and Research (BEER-2013) to be held in Arlington, Virginia on October 11-14, 2013. The symposium will highlight significant recent scientific and educational developments in mathematical biology, ecology, and biostatistics. This conference will bring together junior researchers from both the biological and the mathematical sciences to disseminate their current work and to network with other junior and senior researchers and educators whose combined expertise covers many areas in mathematical biology.
An important component of the meeting is to broaden the education and stimulate the research of young and underrepresented participants. Results from the conference will address environmental and public health problems and questions. In addition, results from this conference will help in the establishment of a biomathematical curriculum that is current and relevant to society.
took place on October 11-13 at Marymount University, Arlington, VA. This unique symposium provides an opportunity for researchers and educators to come together to share their progress in biomathematics research and to simultaneously discuss the current state of biomathematics education. This meeting differs from other national meetings with similar content, such as the Society for Mathematical Biology Annual Meeting. The BEER Symposium offers an equal emphasis for both education and research, which attracts a select group who focus on research and education aspects of biomathematics equally. Additionally, while the majority of attendees have historically been housed in departments of mathematics, the symposium has enjoyed success in attracting scientists from diverse fields– such as biology, ecology, statistics, biostatistics – providing opportunities for true multidisciplinary collaborations that support advancements in both research and education. Tremendous effort has been dedicated to creating a social environment that encourages relationship-building. Thus, BEER has a history of promoting rich interactions and collaborations that continue outside of the conference. Thanks to the funding provided by the NSF, the organizers were able support the travel expenses of 25 young scholars in that undergraduate and graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and junior faculy. The meeting featured a poster session, over 80 oral presentations and a soccer match between the biologists and mathematicians.
