THIS CONFERENCE GRANT APPLICATION IS TO SUPPORT TRAVEL AWARDS FOR ESTABLISHED AND DEVELOPING U.S. SCIENTISTS TO THE "12TH INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON SELENIUM IN BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE." THIS MEETING WILL TAKE PLACE FROMFEBRUARY 21-25, 2021 IN HONOLULU, HAWAII, USA.THE OVERALL GOAL OF THIS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IS TO BRING TOGETHER 250-300 SCIENTISTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO SHARE CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH FINDINGS AND EXCHANGE IDEAS RELATED TO THE FIELDS OFDIETARY SELENIUM IN ANIMALS AND HUMANS, BIOFORTIFICATION OF CROPS, SELENOPROTEIN BIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY, SELENIUM/SELENOPROTEINS IN HUMAN AND ANIMAL HEALTH, AND OTHERAREAS OF RESEARCH. TOPICS COVERED WILL SPAN A WIDE RANGE OF AREAS WITH A SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE OF BRIDGING THESE DIFFERENT FIELDS OF RESEARCH UNDER A 'ONE HEALTH' CONCEPT. A SECOND SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE IS TO ATTRACT AND SUPPORT YOUNG INVESTIGATORS TO ATTEND THE MEETING, AND THEREBY PROVIDE UP-TO-DATE TRAINING IN METHODS AND APPROACHES AS WELL AS INTEGRATE FUTURE SCIENTISTS INTO THE GREATER RESEARCH COMMUNITY. SPECIFIC SCIENTIFIC SESSIONS THAT HAVE DIRECT FOCUS AND RELEVANCE TO THE USDA MISSION INCLUDE: 1) SELENIUM RELATED HEALTH AND DISEASE IN ANIMALS AND HUMANS, 3) SELENIUM METABOLISM, 4) MECHANISMS OF SELENIUM TOXICITY, 5) CONSEQUENCES OF SELENIUM DEFICIENCY, 6) SYNTHESIS, FUNCTION, BIOLOGY, AND GENETICS OF SELENOPROTEINS, 7) SELENIUM IN REGIONAL SOIL AND ATMOSPHERES, AND 8) SELENIUM ACCUMULATION AND BIOFORTIFICATION. THESE TOPICS WILL BE FEATURED IN FOCUSED RESEARCH SESSIONS WITH KEY LECTURES AND IN ORAL AND POSTER PRESENTATIONS. THIS PROJECT WILL BRING TOGETHER EXPERTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD WORKING IN THE SELENIUM AREA AND PROVIDE AN EXCELLENT FORUM FOR ESTABLISHED AND EMERGING INVESTIGATORS TO EXCHANGED DATA AND NEW IDEAS WITHIN THIS RESEARCH AREA.