ISSOL (THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF THE ORIGIN OF LIFE) HAS SPONSORED AN INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS EVERY THREE YEARS SINCE IT WAS FOUNDED IN THE LATE 1950S. WITH A CORE MEMBERSHIP OF SEVERAL HUNDRED SCIENTISTS IT IS THE ONLY INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY DEDICATED TO RESEARCH ON THE ORIGIN OF LIFE. DUES ARE MODEST CURRENTLY $40 PER YEAR. OUR POLICY HAS BEEN TO USE THE ACCUMULATED DUES TO SUPPORT TRAVEL OF YOUNG INVESTIGATORS TO THE MEETING MOSTLY GRADUATE STUDENTS AND POST-DOCTORAL ASSOCIATES WHO OTHERWISE WOULD BE UNABLE TO ATTEND. WE BELIEVE THIS KIND OF SUPPORT IS ESSENTIAL FOR MAINTAINING INTEREST IN ORIGINS OF LIFE RESEARCH AS THE TORCH IS PASSED FROM ONE GENERATION TO THE NEXT. IN THE PAST WE ORGANIZED A JOINT MEETING WITH BIOASTRONOMY WITH AROUND 500 PARTICIPANTS AND WE WERE ABLE TO SUPPORT ~20 - 30 TRAVEL GRANTS. THE APPLICATIONS WERE REVIEWED BY A COMMITTEE AND TYPICAL GRANTS WERE IN THE RANGE OF $1000 TO $1500 NOT ENOUGH TO COVER ALL EXPENSES BUT SUFFICIENT TO REDUCE THE COSTS TO A MANAGEABLE LEVEL. ORIGINS 2017 IS DIRECTLY RELEVANT TO THE PRIMARY GOALS OF NASA'S ASTROBIOLOGY EXOBIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY PROGRAMS WHICH STATE THAT: "THE STRATEGY IS TO INVESTIGATE THE PLANETARY AND MOLECULAR PROCESSES THAT SET THE PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CONDITIONS WITHIN WHICH LIVING SYSTEMS MAY HAVE ARISEN." AN ESSENTIAL ASPECT FOR DEVELOPING THE CAREERS OF YOUNG INVESTIGATORS IS FOR THEM TO INTERACT PERSONALLY WITH SENIOR SCIENTISTS. THIS PROPOSAL IS FOR SUPPORT OF THE MEETING AND YOUNG SCIENTISTS TO ATTEND THE MEETING. ORIGINS 2017 WILL ATTRACT AN INTERNATIONAL CADRE OF OUTSTANDING SCIENTISTS AND PRESENTS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR INTERACTIONS FOR EXPERIENCED AND YOUNG SCIENTISTS TO TAKE PLACE.