The award will provide support for graduate students and post-doctoral researchers to attend the 2020 Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) on Chromatin Structure and Function (May 30-31, 2020 in Castelldelfels, Spain) to be held just prior to the associated Gordon Research Conference (GRC; May 31-June 5, 2020). These conferences bring together young and established scientists from multiple disciplines, from genetics and epigenetics to computational biology, who are investigating mechanisms governing the higher order structure and function of the genome. The GRS serves as a forum for a diverse group of early career scientists to discuss research through seminars and poster sessions, exchange new ideas, technologies and resources informally, and develop their professional network. The program also includes a panel discussion on mentoring and career development with scientists in different professions, such as academia, industry and publishing. The GRS is organized and co-chaired by a graduate student and a post-doctoral fellow, providing them with a significant career development experience.
New technologies, including genome visualization tools, have accelerated discoveries in chromatin biology in recent years, while increasing the need for multi-disciplinary training and collaborative research. The GRS and GRC serve as a vital link for investigators around the world to share their latest, often unpublished, discoveries, discuss pioneering ideas and launch new collaborations. Topics at the forefront of the field will be covered, including the organization of the genome at various scales, chromatin remodeling mechanisms and their regulation, the effects on cellular development and fate, among others. The GRS in particular will facilitate training and professional development of the next generation of scientists, including underrepresented minorities, in the field of chromatin biology.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
