This application seeks funding to cover travel costs to allow the attendance of from 10-15 trainees and new investigators from the USA at the annual International Federation of Placenta Associations (IFPA) meetings together with funding to support the travel costs of a senior US-based investigator to these meetings where he/she will present an invited plenary lecture and take part in workshop sessions. The many physiologic roles fulfilled by the human placenta in support of fetal growth and development during it's nine month existence means that placental research is truly multidisciplinary and meetings of the placental research community bring together clinicians and basic scientists of various specializations. Often these are individuals whose primary focus is not the placenta but who recognize that their talents can be brought to bear on investigations in this most multifaceted area. The highly successful annual IFPA meeting serves to bring together clinicians and scientists, established senior and junior beginning investigators from around the world, to report and discuss their findings in a atmosphere conducive to frank yet amicable exchange. Meetings are scheduled in September of each year in Glasgow, UK (2005), Kobe City, Japan (2006), Kingston, Canada (2007), Budapest, Hungry (2008) and Adelaide, Australia (2009). The meeting duration is 3-31/2 days with up to eight plenary sessions addressing specific aspects of placental function. The main speaker in each plenary gives a state of the art presentation and is not necessarily a placental biologist. Plenary sessions are accompanied by a corresponding interactive 2-hour workshop session addressing controversial questions. At least two 3-hour in-depth discussion of work particularly of new investigators. Oral sessions for new investigators and trainees are scheduled with the best abstracts selected for these by the program committee. Prizes are awarded for the best oral presentation and best poster presentations by trainees and new investigators. Trainees and new investigators will be selected based on competitive review of submitted first author abstracts for award of travel funds. The US-based senior investigator will be selected by the meeting organizer and PI of this proposal. There are always a high proportion (up to 50%) of women attendees, speakers and session chairs at IFPA meetings ensuing adequate representation.
