PAPILLOMAVIRUS CONFERENCES, 2000-2004

University Of South Carolina At Columbia, Columbia SC

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (Adapted from application abstract): This application is to request funds to help cover organizational expenses, and provide support for travel fellowships to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to the next five International papillomavirus Conferences. Funds available through this grant are intended to facilitate participation by young investigators in the Conferences, to encourage interactions among Papillomavirus investigators that will foster the development of collaborative research projects, particularly of a translational nature, and to increase the educational value of the Conferences for young investigators in the Papillomavinus field. In the past, funds from similar grants have fostered student attendance. A record number of 114 attended the most recent International Papillomavirus Conference in Charleston, SC. All students benefited from reduced registration rates or waived registration, and 12 students/postdocs received further support in the form of travel awards. At the next Papillomavirus Conference, which will be held in Barcelona, Spain, July 23-28th, 2000, funds will be utilized to cover organizational expenses, and for travel awards for young investigators from the USA. Registration costs for students and postdocs can be kept low, thanks in part to the availability of these funds. For the following four Papillomavirus Conferences, funds will be used in part to cover the initial expenses related with the organization of such Conferences, i.e. design, printing and mailing of the first announcement, preparation of the Conference Program, booking of facilities, etc. In the past, organizers were faced with the arduous task of coming up with (at times personally borrowing) the funds necessary for the initial planning for the Conference. As plans for these Conferences need to be formulated at least three, most often four years in advance, and booking of the facilities must be made at such early time, it is particularly difficult to find sponsors that will cover the initial expenses for an event that will take place years later. The availability of funds under this grant, together with ensuring that NIH sponsorship of the Conference acknowledged from the very beginning of the organization process, will allow the organizers to formulate concrete plans for the Conference in a timely fashion, without the hardships that have been associated with these initial steps in the past. This may encourage US investigators to take again the charge of the organization of the Conference, which used to be held in North America once every two years (investigators from North America make up about 50% of the Papillomavirus field) and is now more often held abroad than in the USA. The availability of these funds will also allow the organizers to establish student registration rates significantly lower than those for established investigators. This will encourage young people participation, which greatly enhances the educational value of the Conference. In addition, part of the funds from each years budget will be devoted to travel fellowships for young investigators from the USA. The next three Papillomavirus Conferences will be held abroad, and finding funds to support foreign travel by students is particularly difficult, hence these funds are particularly needed.