NSF Support of Student Participation in the 2018 World Biosensors Congress

North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC

Investigators

Abstract

This award will support student activities at the 2018 World Biosensors Congress and the associated one-day Summer School providing tutorials focused on paper-based nanobiosensor technology. These events will be held June 12-15 in Miami, Florida. The 2018 World Congress celebrates the 28th anniversary of this international conference series, considered the premiere meeting in the field of biosensors and bioelectronics. The Congress has been held every two years since 1990 and rotates around the globe, attracting more than 1000 delegates. Every six years, the World Biosensor Congress meets in North America, but this is the first time in the US since 2000. With the conference location in Miami, there is a special opportunity to reach US participants this year. While the US is always in the top three countries for level of participation, the ratio of US authors already submitting abstracts is higher than usual. This congenial atmosphere is deemed to be essential to incorporate young investigators into the community as well as to encouraged interactions between more established investigators. These initiatives include an entrepreneurs' exhibit space with special activities and outreach programs for local high school students and minority undergraduates to encourage careers in STEM. The aims of the proposed project are a) to recognize excellence by students presenting posters at the conference and b) to present 10 NSF travel awards to students from US institutions competitively offered the opportunity to present posters or talks. The acceptance letter to authors of abstracts from US institutions will specifically offer student presenters the opportunity to compete for the NSF travel awards.