A two-day regional research symposium is proposed focused on the field of organic chemistry and chemical biology to encourage cross-disciplinary research. The targeted participants will be advanced undergraduate students from universities within the Pacific Northwest region, who have conducted significant research projects in a relevant area(s). The purpose of the symposium is to provide these young scientists with an opportunity to gain valuable experience in presenting research data at a professional conference-style forum and to stimulate research in organic chemistry, chemical biology as well as allied biomedical disciplines. The event will thus serve to nurture, support, and encourage a cohort of the nation's future scientific and medical professionals from an area of the country with comparatively few opportunities for similar career developing activities. Places at the symposium will be strictly limited (to ca 30-35) such that the resulting small group atmosphere encourages significant interaction between participants. Furthermore, all student attendees will make a substantive presentation during the symposium, either a research poster or a lecture. The selection of participants will emphasize diversity (scientific and individual) and will be made on the basis of submitted abstracts (to be later compiled and distributed), with the best submissions being given priority for the available lecture slots. Three keynote speakers will give lectures on their research. The keynote speakers will be selected from a range of positions - from academia to medical schools to industry - and in a range of research areas (with emphasis on cross-disciplinary research).. NIGMS support is sought to facilitate wide participation in the symposium from the most talented undergraduate students from across the entire Pacific Northwest region by providing travel awards for all selected attendees.
Organic chemistry and chemical biology play pivotal roles in all biological and biomedical fields, including: pharmaceutical development and medical practice. The focus of the proposed scientific meeting on undergraduate research in organic chemistry and chemical biology is therefore agency relevant and indeed, the entire field has consistently been regarded as an area of strategic importance to the National Institutes of Health. Given that the participants involved in the symposium will be pre-professional students with a passion for organic chemistry and chemical biology, the event will thus serve to nurture, support, and encourage a cohort of the Nation's future scientific and medical professionals from an area of the country with comparatively few opportunities for this type of event.
