This proposal seeks funding to support travel for students, postdoctoral fellows, early career faculty and professionals, inclusive of underrepresented groups and accessible to persons with disabilities, to participate in the 2015 Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting. The 2015 BMES Annual Meeting will be held in Tampa FL, October 7-11, 2015, and it will feature 19 parallel technical Program Tracks focused on the overall theme of "Innovation at the Interface." The BMES Annual Meeting serves as a primary vehicle for scientific sharing and dissemination of the latest advances in biomedical engineering, as well as a facilitator of important cross-fertilizations between the life sciences and engineering technologies, which foster a multi-disciplinary approach in the practice of Biomedical Engineering. The travel awards will afford the opportunity for young investigators and investigators from underrepresented groups to attend the Annual Meeting, be informed on the latest scientific and technological advances in Biomedical Engineering, and participate in programs and special sessions focused on health disparities and promoting and sustaining innovative research in biomedical engineering and grant writing.
The requested funds will specifically be used to offset travel costs and registration fees for students, early career professionals and session participants and to support the Students Research and Design Awards, Student Travel Awards, and the Biomedical Innovation and Career Development Travel Awards. The recipients of these awards will be selected through competitive processes organized and run by appropriate BMES Committees. A portion of the funds from this conference proposal will be used to enable the participation of more students from underrepresented groups to include racial and ethnic minorities and others who traditionally have limited opportunities to participate in BMES.
