2011 Polar Marine Sciences GRC

Gordon Research Conferences, East Greenwich RI

Investigators

Abstract

This award provided by the Antarctic Integrated System Science and Arctic Natural Sciences programs in the Office of Polar Programs at NSF will support travel and registration costs for graduate students and early career scientists as outlined in the proposal "2011 Polar Marine Sciences GRC". All Gordon Research Conferences (GRC) bring together an international group of scientists from all different career levels to a common venue for a one-week period to allow frank and open discussion of unpublished results. For the first time this year the Polar Marine Sciences GRC will be combined with a Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) to bring early career scientists together with mentors for a two day mini-meeting prior to the main meeting to allow for more intensive training for the students and early career scientists. Intellectual Merit: The 2011 Gordon Research Conference on Polar Marine Sciences brings together Arctic and Antarctic scientists to discuss their not-yet published results in an informal atmosphere with the goal of improving the interpretation of current work and laying the groundwork for truly integrated projects in the future. In addition the conference will make a concerted effort to include some non-polar presentations at the conference. Broader Impact: Gordon Research Conferences make a very strong effort to entrain young scientists including graduate students and post-docs, and the Polar Marine Sciences GRC will also hold a GRS (Graduate Research Seminar) series in conjunction with the more standard Gordon Research Conference for the first time. In additional there is always a strong international turnout at the meeting so it is a good venue for fostering international collaboration. Funds provided by the NSF will be used to support graduate students and early-career scientists affiliated with US institutions. Inclusion of early career scientists and students in the mini-meeting and main meeting of a necessarily multi/ interdisciplinary field of research focused on both the Antarctic and Arctic will be extremely valuable in training the next generation of polar researchers.