The Teratology Society was founded in 1960 to foster the exchange of information relating to congenital (birth) defects including their nature, cause, mechanism, and prevention. In 2011, the Society will hold its 51st Annual Meeting in Coronado, California. The meeting provides a place and time to network and indulge in discussions from philosophical to practical with established experts in the field, new researchers, and students. It is also a place and time to promote and express our scientific diversity as a Society of fellow clinicians, scientists and science policy regulators from academic, industrial, and governmental sectors. The Society understands the importance of encouraging and mentoring students and postdoctoral fellows, including fostering education and training as part of its strategic goals. The meeting agenda includes events and sessions to encourage student and postdoctoral fellow participation. There will be one platform session which highlights the research of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. This platform session is comprised of talks competitively selected from the pool of abstracts submitted for platform presentation by students and postdoctoral fellows. Those students and postdoctoral fellows whose abstracts are not selected for this session are included in other platform and poster sessions throughout the meeting. Student and postdoctoral fellow posters are marked as such in order to encourage interaction among the presenters and the members of the Society and meeting attendees. In addition, there are two student mentoring activities, a Student Career Night and a Dine with an Ambassador program. Both are designed to promote networking between trainees and scientists representing all facets of the Society in a relaxed forum that promotes open discussions related to future plans and career opportunities in the field. The trainees are also encouraged to serve as ad hoc members on the majority of the Society's committees, thereby deepening their involvement within the Society.
The specific aims of this grant application are 1) to request funds for Travel Awards to students and postdoctoral fellows to attend the 2011 Annual Meeting, and 2) to partially support travel expenses for key non-member speakers. The Teratology Society believes that its students and postdoctoral fellows are the future of both the Society and the scientific endeavors fostered by its community of scientists. Travel Awards assist in offsetting the financial burden that might otherwise prevent students and postdoctoral fellows from attending. The application also requests funds to partially defray travel costs for invited non-member speakers. Member speakers are provided lodging for one night and agree to cover all other expenses for participation in the conference. However, it is necessary to assist with travel expenses for invited non-member speakers, who provide cross-fertilization of ideas necessary for sustaining this world class meeting. Public Health Relevance: The Teratology Society brings together academic, industrial, and governmental scientists who investigate the causes and biological processes leading to birth defects and developmental disabilities. Committed to the support, encouragement, and training of students and postdoctoral fellows, the Society understands the importance of involving them in its Annual Meeting. Both the scientific objectives and the training and outreach goals of the Teratology Society annual meetings require external support for invited speaker travel and for student and postdoctoral fellow travel awards.
The Teratology Society brings together academic, industrial, and governmental scientists who investigate the causes and biological processes leading to birth defects and developmental disabilities. Committed to the support, encouragement, and training of students and postdoctoral fellows, the Society understands the importance of involving them in its Annual Meeting. Both the scientific objectives and the training and outreach goals of the Teratology Society annual meetings require external support for invited speaker travel and for student and postdoctoral fellow travel awards.
