This award will provide funds to support a selected group of faculty investigators to attend and participate in the NSF Joint Annual Meeting (JAM) to be held June 8-11 2009 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington DC. The selected individuals do research in the biological sciences and are members of underrepresented groups in science. This is the first time that the Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) partners with the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) and the Human Resource Development Division (HRD) in support of JAM. The travel award is one of several strategies to broaden participation in BIO and an attempt to increase the number of individual scientists from underrepresented groups that submit proposals to BIO. The event is also designed to enhance the working relationship between BIO and EHR. The Joint Annual Meeting provides an opportunity to discuss, present, network, leverage expertise, and create connections to the many other research and education projects funded within HRD. JAM09 will provide additional opportunities for partnerships and networking with BIO staff and grantees as there are several activities during the meeting designed to interact directly with Program Directors in BIO.
Each invitee of the Directorate for Biological Sciences will attend one of two Professional Development Sessions (Funding Opportunities Directorate for Biological Sciences) and a Collaboration and Networking Dialogue session scheduled for Wednesday June 10 at 10:30 AM. They are also invited to participate on any of the many other breakout sessions and activities scheduled over the duration of the meeting. In particular they are encouraged to attend the lunch keynote events. This year the Keynote Speaker for the Wednesday lunch is Dr. Craig Venter. Break out sessions will address specific topics.
NSF funds will enable registration, travel, and lodging support for up to 50 participants as well as administrative help for requesting names of potential participants, assignment and management of individual travel awards, and dissemination of the outcome.
