The International Union of Physiological Sciences (IUPS) will hold the XXXVII International Congress of Physiological Sciences in Birmingham, UK, July 21-26, 2013. The American Physiological Society (APS) will administer a travel grant program offering a limited number of travel awards to qualified scientists interested in attending the IUPS Congress. The APS has conducted a travel grant program and assisted U.S. scientists engaged in physiological research and its applications to attend Congresses every four years since the IUPS Congress was held in Buenos Aires in 1959. Most recently, the APS managed a travel award program for US physiologists for the IUPS Congress in 2009 in Kyoto, Japan. Special emphasis will be given to investigators within 15 years of receiving their doctoral degree and to women and under-represented minority scientists. Travel awards resulting from this proposal will be directed to individuals working in the research areas supported by the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems. Travel awards will 1) promote widespread participation of young scientists with an emphasis on women and under-represented minorities; 2) interest new investigators and students in pursuing research designed to understand physiological processes and traits; and 3) provide opportunities for the development of collaborative interactions with scientists from the United States and those working in other countries. The scientific program for the XXXVII Congress was developed by an international program committee with representatives both from the host society, The Physiological Society, and the IUPS. The program is organized around a number of IUPS Commissions. Traditionally, the one most relevant to NSF is associated with the Commission for Comparative Physiology: Evolution, Adaptation & Environment. While the sessions associated with this Commission are most relevant, there are many others that should be of interest to comparative physiologists, providing physiological insights related to their comparative studies.
APS Provides 80 Travel Awards to the XXXVII IUPS Congress The American Physiological Society (APS), administered a travel award program for attendees to the XXXVII International Congress of Physiological Sciences, Birmingham, UK, July 21 to 26, 2013. The APS International Physiology Committee, served as the screening and selection committee, responsible for identifying recipients of the travel awards. As fiscal agent, the APS received funds for the program from government agencies and from an income account derived from individual contributions and profits associated with the 1968 IUPS Congress in Washington D.C. Government funds were provided by the National Science Foundation (IOS-1261451) and the following NIH institutes – National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Disease and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (R13 DK098941-01). The XXXVII Congress was attended by 3061 scientists representing 88 counties. The US delegation was comprised of 258 scientists. The APS received applications for the travel award program from 155 scientists and students. The Society selected 80 applicants for inclusion in the program (51.6%). Fifty-seven applications (42.2%) were received from female scientists and forty-one received awards (71.9%). Of the 53 applications received from APS members in the US, 33 applications were awarded. Of these applications, only two were from scientists who identified themselves as being from an underrepresented minority groups and one of those applications was awarded with a travel grant. The remaining 47 award recipients went to APS members residing outside of the US with the largest contingents being from Brazil (12 awards) and from Nigeria (11 awards). Seventy percent of the applicants identified themselves as early-career scientists (either a student or within 15 years of their terminal doctoral degree). The median year for receipt of the doctorate for awardees was 2009. The awardees were provided with an award ranging from $500 - $1000 to partially defray the cost of travel to the Congress. Many of the awardees not only attended the Congress but also visited research laboratories in the UK. The awardees were asked to rank the Congress on a scale from 1 to 10 with 10 being the best. More than 85% (68 out of 35) gave the Congress a ranking of 7 or higher. Overall, the attendees were supportive of the Congress and its scientific aspects. The awardees completed a survey and were asked to respond to the following questions: Did you combine your attendance at the IUPS Congress with attendance at a satellite meeting? 40.6% of the awardees responded yes! Did you combine your attendance at the IUPS Congress with a visit to a research laboratory? 46.4% of the awardees responded yes! Did the Congress provide you with an opportunity to develop collaborative research projects with colleagues? 92.9% of the awardees responded yes! Did the Congress provide you with an opportunity to identify opportunities to work in another laboratory? 65.2% of the awardees responded yes! Did the Congress provide you with an opportunity to recruit candidates to work in your laboratory? 31.8% of the awardees responded yes! When asked what the most positive aspect of their participation in the Congress was, this is what some of the awardees had to say: "I had a chance to really get a sense of what kind of work is going on internationally in my field. Perhaps more importantly, I met and formed relationships with professionals at institutions that I would like to join following my postdoc." "The big opportunity to develop collaborative research projects with colleagues as well as taking knowledge of many research lines from laboratories all around the world." "For me the best aspect was the coming together of human, clinically-oriented researchers with those studying fundamental aspects of physiology in non-traditional animal models." "The presentation skills training workshop we held was very beneficial to young and even mature physiologists from resource-strained regions and the huge turnout over the two days was confirmation enough that the training was relevant and necessary. I also got a chance to attend important meetings and discuss with other physiologists from across Africa on the challenges and possible solutions needed to improve physiology teaching and research in Africa. I also attended the satellite Teaching Workshop in Bristol and also benefited in my teaching skills. I learned a lot from the keynote lectures and plenary sessions and got a number of research ideas from colleagues. Every aspect of the Congress was of great benefit to me as a young physiologist." "During presentation of my scientific data, I discussed with other international experts in this field and received positive feedback which will be very helpful in formulating my future experiments." "Being able to meet face to face with research collaborators and outline our research plan for our R01 submission and participation as a mentor in the early career symposium."
