This U.S - Chile Planning Visit award will support five senior researchers from the U.S., under the leadership of Dr. T. John Wu of the Uniformed Services University, on a workshop-planning visit to Santiago, Chile, in November 2009. The goal of this trip is to organize an international neuroendocrine workshop to be held at the University of Chile. This face-to-face meeting will bring together the five U.S. neuroendocrinologists with counterparts at the University of Chile led by Dr. Hernan Lara. The planning visit will accomplish the following: (1) to establish the scope of topics to be discussed at the workshop; (2) to invigorate collaborations and provide new linkages between U.S. and South American neuroendocrinologists; (3) to identify possible training opportunities for young scientists from the United States and South America; and (4) to determine possible funding mechanisms to support participants from both North and South America. The meeting will be held over 4 days and include sessions to discuss various aspects of the workshop as well as visits by the US scientists to laboratory facilities at the University of Chile and to possible conference venues.
While it is well established that there is a strong group of neuroendocrinologists in South America, US interactions with them are limited. This face-to-face planning visit is part of a long-term effort to establish collaborative interactions between US and South American scientists and trainees. This visit will provide a venue for discussions of potential scientific collaborations and training opportunities in the U.S. and in South America. It is anticipated that the meeting will result in joint submission of a workshop proposal to NSF and to funding agencies in South America.
