This award provides funding for five talented young scientists to present their original research in the Young Investigator Symposium at the annual Workshop on Steroid Hormones and Brain Function in 2008 and 2009. The goals of this workshop are to provide an informal setting for the exchange of new data on steroid hormone action in the nervous system, to encourage the development of research collaborations, and to provide a forum for outstanding young neuroendocrinologists. Five competitively chosen senior graduate students or postdoctoral fellows are invited not only to present their research in the Young Investigator Symposium, but also receive financial support to attend the entire workshop. This award therefore nurtures the next generation of neuroendocrinologists by helping them build a substantial professional network of contacts as they begin their transition to independent researchers. The 2008 awards reflect the breadth of contemporary basic and especially comparative research in neuroendocrinology, with a strong emphasis on nonmammalian model systems, including bird song, amphibian courtship, neuromuscular systems for copulation in reptiles, and neural plasticity in the honey bee. Without funds provided by the National Science Foundation, it is unlikely that these young investigators could attend the annual workshop.
