We are requesting multi-year (5) support for travel stipends to encourage the participation of young investigators at the 2016-2020 annual meetings of the American Pain Society (APS). These young investigators are beginning their careers in basic and clinical research in pain. The APS is an interdisciplinary community that brings together a diverse group of scientists, clinicians and other professionals to increase knowledge about pain and to transform public policy and clinical practice in order to address pain as a major public health problem. The annual APS meeting provides a unique forum for disseminating cutting-edge advances in evidence-based pain research and treatment in a setting that optimizes the interactions between scientists and clinicians. The annual meeting integrates basic, experimental and clinical pain research, and encourages cross-fertilization among the participants. This bidirectional translational interchange between clinicians who diagnose and manage clinical pain and pre-clinical scientists who are elucidating pain mechanisms is the cornerstone of improved pain therapy and advances in pain management. We seek funds solely for the purpose of providing travel awards for young investigators who have submitted an abstract which has been accepted for presentation at our meeting by our peer review process and therefore are engaged in research. These young investigators may be from any research training background (basic or clinical science, psychology, medicine, nursing or biostatistics) and may be at any level in training, including students, residents, pre-doctoral trainees, postdoctoral fellows, or those who have completed their postdoctoral training within the last 3 years. All applicants must be APS members. Collectively, the APS Young Investigator Travel Awards program is designed to facilitate the mentoring and nurturing of the next generation of pain researchers.
In response to a congressional mandate, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) contracted with the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to study and make recommendations to increase recognition of acute and chronic pain as a significant public health problem in the United States (National Pain Strategy, 2015 http://iprcc.nih.gov/docs/DraftHHSNationalPainStrategy.pdf). The annual APS meeting provides a unique forum for disseminating cutting edge advances in evidence?based pain research and treatment in a setting that optimizes the interactions between scientists and clinicians. In part through the Young Investigators Travel Award, APS contributes to the training and career development of the next generation of scientists who will drive pain research and treatment forward. The meeting gives trainees an opportunity to participate in an interdisciplinary and scientific forum and to interact with senior scientists and clinicians. It also provides daily contnt that is designed specifically for Young Investigators in the field. Ultimately, these interactions ill address a core public health responsibility including prevention and management of pain by addressing the full range of biological, psychological and social effects of pain on individuals and populations.
