2013 Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting on September 25-28, 2013, in Seattle, WA

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1343145BarabinoThe Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) is devoted to developing and using engineering and technology to advance human health and well-being and to building the next generation of biomedical engineers to realize that vision. BMES is uniquely positioned as a professional society to play an active role in leading the discipline and shaping the future of biomedical engineering. Beyond research and educational presentations, through the BMES Annual Meeting, BMES provides opportunities for strategic network building, career development and advancement, sharing ideas, recognizing and promoting talent, developing and promoting professional excellence and broadening the participation of underserved and underrepresented groups. Through this conference proposal BMES seeks funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support travel awards for students, postdoctoral fellows, early career faculty and professionals, inclusive of underrepresented groups, for the 2013 Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting. The travel awards will afford the opportunity for these groups to attend the Annual Meeting and participate in programs and special sessions focused on mentoring, health disparities and promoting and sustaining innovative research in biomedical engineering. The requested funding will also help support the development of mentor training materials for the BMES Scholars Program and assist in bringing in distinguished speakers for the Health Disparities Session.Intellectual Merit:The BMES Annual Meeting is highly interdisciplinary and is the premiere conference for the BME field. It brings together different BME communities in academics, translation and industry, and is co-sponsored by several prestigious BME-related societies. The intellectual content of the meeting will provide important cross-fertilization of ideas, concepts, tools, and approaches, and will highlight the importance of BME as the intersection of Biology, Medicine, and Engineering. Through the integration of scientific, educational and career development programming, the meeting is a vehicle for educating and promoting excellence in the discipline and among the additional students, postdoctoral fellows, early career faculty and professionals, and underrepresented groups who will be able to participate in the Annual Meeting as a result of this funding. The proposed funds requested for travel awards will support the Students Research and Design Awards and the Student Travel Awards, which will enable undergraduate and graduate students to actively participate in the Annual Meeting and be recognized for their outstanding contributions to biomedical engineering. The award funds will also support the Biomedical Innovation and Talent Development Travel Awards to provide broad participation of aspiring faculty at a BMES special session that promotes and sustains innovative research in BME. Broader Impacts:The BMES Annual Meeting serves as a primary vehicle for scientific sharing and dissemination among the BME community, and as a facilitator of important cross-fertilizations between the life sciences and engineering technologies that fosters a multi-disciplinary approach in the practice of BME. By targeting and actively engaging undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral trainees, junior faculty, persons with disabilities and other underserved communities in meeting activities, to include tailored workshops and sessions, the BMES Annual Meeting will help ensure broader participation in the discipline and contribute to building the future generation of biomedical engineers. It is expected that 60% of the attendees will be students and they will have ample opportunity to network, be mentored and continue their socialization into the BME profession .The travel awards will enable those who might not otherwise be able to attend the Annual Meeting the opportunity to engage in the Society, benefit from conference programming, network and establish connections with the potential for career long impact.It is expected that these activities will be recurring on an annual basis and will contribute to a comprehensive approach by BMES to ensure development of a diverse technically competent biomedical engineering workforce. This specific aim heavily targets the undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty and professionals for their essential role in the future advancement of the BME sciences and practices.