Kane Caroline Cell Biology Education: Increasing Participation & Educating Students & Postdocs
Intellectual merit. The ASCB Annual Meeting offers undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows a unique opportunity to see the breadth and depth of modern cell biology. Through presentation opportunities, onsite feedback from more senior scientists, oral and poster scientific presentations by others, workshops and Working Groups (tackling particularly difficult problems in biology), and multiple networking and discussion opportunities (including the new Graduate School Fair and senior scientist-facilitated, topic-based Science Discussion Tables), travel awardees will improve their understanding of cell biology, its processes, and potentials.
Broader impacts. Travel awardees who would otherwise not have been able to attend the ASCB Annual Meeting will get both the ?big picture? in core cell biology topics at Symposia, and a more in depth understanding of a variety of topics at Special Interest Subgroups, Minisymposia, Working Groups, and Poster Sessions. In special poster sessions (e.g., undergraduate, minority) and events, Travel awardees will advance their knowledge and understanding of techniques, including approaches for education and career development. These events include the Women in Cell Biology Network Reception, Minority Affairs Committee Mentoring Symposium, Career Discussion Roundtables, and Workshops. By increasing their scientific literacy and expanding their networks, Travel Awardees are pointed to potential mentors, instructed in public outreach, and provided tools to use as educators.
The grant from the National Science Foundation to the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) enabled 16 postdoctoral fellows, 31 predoctoral students, and four undergraduate students to attend the 2010 Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The group included 29 males and 22 females from 18 states and 12 countries. Many, if not all, of these young scientists are involved in basic research in laboratories. Their exposure, through the ASCB Annual Meeting, to new scientific breakthroughs and technologies, will help them continue to move science forward, potentially leading to scientific breakthroughs that will help improve the life of all. The ASCB Annual Meeting is the largest gathering of cell biologists in the world. There are no better opportunities to experience in one venue the excitement of being part of this vibrant international community. This meeting is unique in exposing attendees to the breadth of research questions and new technologies in cell biology. Here’s where scientists get new ideas and alternate ways to tackle their research. Students and postdocs also find mentorship and help in deciding career directions. Attendance at the Annual Meeting offered the NSF student and postdoc awardees an unparalleled opportunity to improve their understanding of science, network with scientists and peers, and learn from the many scientific and career-focused programs planned by the ASCB Program Committee, Women in Cell Biology Committee, Minorities Affairs Committee, Public Policy Committee, and Education Committee. The scientific program included 15 special interest subgroups, seven symposia and 29 minisymposia, three working groups, and several workshops—all encompassing the breadth and depth of cell biology (see attached grid detailing scientific, career, and education programs). The committee-sponsored programs included professional development, career resources, a graduate school fair, advocacy and grantsmanship seminars, and science discussion tables with expert scientists. The NSF travel awardees presented their research at one or more poster sessions and received expert feedback from other attendees. Such sessions are critically valuable for picking up new approaches and possible future collaborations, as confirmed by ASCB survey data. A total of 7,340 people attended the 2010 ASCB Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, PA (including 2,290 exhibitors and their guests). Of these, 5,854 (not counting 2,113 exhibitors/guests of exhibitor) were U.S. attendees. A total of 49 countries were represented.
