BRIDGING THE US AND EUROPEAN ASTROBIOLOGY COMMUNITY: SUPPORTING US SCIENTIST ATTENDANCE TO EXTREMOPHILES 2018 CONFERENCE

THIS PROPOSAL REQUESTS $49 997 TO SUPPORT THE ATTENDANCE OF EARLY-CAREER RESEARCHERS AND FEW KEY SPEAKERS AT THE INTERNATIONAL EXTREMOPHILES CONFERENCE 2018 MEETING IN SEPTEMBER 2018. THIS FUND WILL BE USED TO OFFER FULL OR PARTIAL TRAVEL AWARDS TO 15 TO 20 STUDENTS AND US SCIENTISTS WHO WOULD OTHERWISE BE UNABLE TO ATTEND THE CONFERENCE. FUNDING MAY COVER GROUND AND AIR TRANSPORTATION TO/ FROM THE EVENT AS WELL AS STANDARD PER DIEM EXPENSES. APPLICANTS WILL BE SELECTED ON A COMPETITIVE BASIS USING A WEB-FORM APPLICATION SYSTEM. THE APPLICATION FORM WILL REQUEST INFORMATION REGARDING THE APPLICANTS EXPERTISE CONTRIBUTION TO THE CONFERENCE AN OPTION TO INDICATE IF PARTIAL FUNDING WOULD BE CONSIDERED AS WELL AS A JUSTIFICATION DEMONSTRATING NEED. FOR STUDENTS A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION WILL BE ALSO REQUESTED. APPLICATIONS WILL BE SCORED BASED ON SCIENTIFIC MERIT. PRECEDENCE WILL BE GIVEN TO THOSE PRESENTING OR LEADING DISCUSSIONS AS WELL AS ATTENDEES FROM UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS MINORITIES OR FROM EXPERTS IN UNDERREPRESENTED FIELDS TO ENSURE INTERDISCIPLINARITY. THE APPLICANTS POOL WILL UNDERGO BLIND REVIEW BY THE SCIENCE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE (SOC-SEE BELOW) AND AWARDS WILL BE MADE BASED ON THE ABOVE CONSIDERATIONS. THE SOC WILL ALSO ENSURE GENDER BALANCE AND SCIENTIFIC AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY. RUTGERS UNIVERSITY WILL HANDLE REIMBURSEMENT LOGISTICS. INCREASING THE PARTICIPATION OF US RESEARCHERS IN THIS EVENT WILL FOSTER NEW INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION IN THE INTERDISCIPLINARY FIELD OF LIFE IN EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS