The purpose of this request for an International Travel Grant is to help offset the costs involved in enabling four (4) members of the American Physiological Society (APS) to attend and participate in the Inaugural Congress of the African Association of Physiological Sciences (AAPS). The venue for the Congress will be Nairobi, Kenya from September 21 through 2, 1992. All four individuals have been specifically invited to participate in the Congress by either the Secretary-General of the AAPS, Dr. K.O. Adeniyi of the University of Jos in Jos, Nigeria, and/or the Congress Chairman, Dr. John Ibu, also of the University of Jos. The letter of invitation to Dr. Daniel Richardson, the PI of this grant proposal, is attached. Letters to the other three invited individuals can be produced if their specific rolls in the Congress are provided in this proposal. The purpose of the AAPS Congress is to provide a forum for scientists from the African countries to interact with their International counterparts. The Congress will consist of invited lectures, research symposia and a considerable number of education workshops. As such the interactions between American and African physiologists is expected to lead to the formation of joint scientific and education projects that would be executed in Africa with the aim of fostering biomedical science teaching and research in African nations. According to K.O. Adeniyi, AAPS Secretary- General, one potential benefit of such interactions is that they would help to stem the tide of scientific brain drain from these regions. The invited American physiologists are expected not only to present lectures on their invited topics, but to participate in the organizational aspects of the congress as well. For the most part the latter will take the form of chairing symposia and/or workshops. Finally, the Americans are encouraged to interact with young members and help direct them towards achieving greater heights in science and education. //
