Conference: Increasing Diversity in Animal Behavior through Undergraduate Participation in the Animal Behavior Society Meetings, Pirenopolis, Brazil, June 22-26, 2009

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This project will take a diverse group of undergraduate students each year to the annual meeting of the Animal Behavior Society, the largest professional society in our discipline. The organizers, members of the Diversity Committee of the Animal Behavior Society, will advertize, identify and select participants who are members of underrepresented groups, low income, first generation, and currently attending schools at which there are few opportunities for research. Ten students each year will be provided with funds to cover all travel, housing, and registration expenses. In addition to attending all meeting events, the students will participate in training activities designed to make sure they get the most out of the meetings. Each student will also be matched with mentors with whom they can interact during the meeting itself. In 2009, the ABS meetings will be hosted in Brazil, offering an important international experience for our students. Based on recent experience, we expect at least 60% of undergraduate award winners to be members of traditionally underrepresented minority groups. Moreover, in written surveys, almost 90% of students who participated in our program activities agreed that they were more likely to go into graduate research in science as a result of having attended the ABS meetings. More than 80% report having had informal interactions with scientists at the meetings who are likely to have an impact on their future careers. The program provides a unique opportunity for graduate training faculty to meet and interact closely with future doctoral students who are members of underrepresented groups.