13th International Congress on the Biology of Fish - Student Travel Grants, Calgary, Canada, July 15-19, 2018

Colorado State University, Fort Collins CO

Investigators

Abstract

Fishes, with over 33,000 known species, are a primary global food source and serve as indicators of environmental quality. The Physiology Section of the American Fisheries Society (AFS) is hosting the 13th International Congress on the Biology of Fish in Calgary, Canada, in July 2018. This award provides financial assistance for undergraduate and graduate students traveling to the 2018 Congress. The AFS Congress will be attended by high caliber fish biologists from over 30 countries who will present in 18 symposia on topics ranging from basic science (e.g., shark physiology) to applied science (e.g., sewage impacts on fish), and serves as an incubator for collaboration and idea exchange. Of greater importance is the opportunity the Congress provides to over 150 student and post-doctoral researchers who will present their work and interact with a large and diverse group of fish biology researchers. Congress organizers aim to continue to foster success of young scientists from groups under-represented in STEM and Fish Physiology. Students who receive travel support from this award will be selected based on the scientific quality of their abstract, the relevance of their subject matter to the symposia, and financial need. The Congress more broadly promotes development of a strong scientific infrastructure, by incorporating professional development activities for a diverse group of junior scientists. In addition to research presentations, the travel grant recipients will be able to attend student-oriented support sessions held throughout the Congress, including specific mentoring and career events, and socials aimed at helping students develop professional networks. The Physiology Section of the American Fisheries Society has hosted the biennial International Congress on the Biology of Fish since 1994, and is hosting the 13th International Congress on the Biology of Fish in Calgary, Canada, on July 15-19, 2018. This award provides financial travel assistance to undergraduate and graduate students who participate in the Congress, based on the quality of their research and financial need. The Congress is the premiere venue for fish physiology researchers and represents an opportunity for the fish physiology community to learn about cutting-edge research throughout the world. The 2018 Congress is organized into 18 Symposia, hosted by subject matter experts, covering a wide array of topics and levels of biological organization from the molecular to the ecosystem. The Congress historically includes a strong student contingent whose members consistently deliver excellent presentations. Additionally, the ethnically and culturally diverse collection of fish biologists at the Congress affords students an excellent opportunity to interact with subject matter experts and to identify potential career mentors, which is of great importance for early career scientists, especially those from under-represented groups. The Congress includes student-targeted events for mentoring and career events focused on helping foster the future success of students as they move into the next phase of their careers. Free Congress proceedings will be available on the AFS Physiology Section website. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.