This project will support international travel by US cognitive scientists participating in the scientific program at the meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, taking place July 21-24, 2005, in Stresa, Italy. The meeting is a key venue for the exchange of scientific information among researchers in the interdisciplinary field of cognitive science. Travel awards will be made to approximately forty individuals conducting research in areas central to the NSF mission, including research on human cognition, reasoning, learning, perception, development, communication and language, social behavior and culture. The majority of the awards will go to young scholars, either graduate students or individuals who have received their Ph.D. degree within the last seven years. By providing the opportunity for US scholars to forge connections with researchers from the international community, the travel grant will increase the visibility of young US cognitive scientists, strengthen and improve the impact of their individual research programs, and enrich the world's store of scientific knowledge in the field of cognitive science through collaboration. The proposed use of funds fulfils the intellectual merit criterion by facilitating scientific collaborations that contribute to the NSF mission of advancing scientific research on these topics. The proposal also addresses the criterion of broader impact on the research infrastructure by making it possible for young cognitive scientists to participate in a crucial training experience that will foster the visibility and quality of their research.
