We are requesting multi-year support for the Neural Interfaces Conference (NIC) which will span 2014-2018. The NIC will bring together leading scientists, engineers, and clinicians who are involved in the research and development of neural interfaces to share novel findings, discuss cross-cutting issues, and identify emergent scientific opportunities.
The Specific Aims of the NIC are: 1. To provide a forum for the presentation and discussion of the most recent findings in neural interfaces research; 2. To provide a forum for the findings of established scientists engaged in other biomedical areas to enable identification of new concepts for, and potential collaboration in, neural interfaces research; 3. To foster the development and continued involvement of qualified students and researchers from minority groups in neural interfaces research; and 4. To disseminate conference abstracts and proceedings through the web access and the peer-reviewed literature, respectively.
While tremendous advances have been made in the neural interface field, considerable advances in scientific and technological knowledge are required to achieve mainstream acceptance and wide-spread utilization. Indeed, the development of advanced neural interfaces to reduce the burden of neurological disease and injury requires the combined efforts of researchers from a variety of disciplines that extend over the basic, translational, and clinical domains. The NIC will attract multidisciplinary participants that span the areas of science, engineering, and medicine. When implemented, the NIC will be the most important venue for researchers with expertise from these many fields to exchange ideas, develop new concepts and collaborations, and foster a next generation of diverse investigators in neural interfaces.
