Conference Proposal: Support attendance to the 2014 - 26th International Ornithological Congress in Tokyo, Japan

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Ornithologists from around the world meet once every four years at the International Ornithological Congresses to share their research findings and forge research collaborations that are critical in moving the discipline forward. Research on birds is conducted in practically every country, and much of the research spans national boundaries. For U.S. ornithologists to remain current, it is essential that they exchange ideas directly with their international colleagues. Although the obvious focus of the International Ornithological Congress is birds, the breadth of disciplines represented among ornithologists in attendance encompasses all of the biological sciences. A partial list of these disciplines includes: evolution, systematics, ecology, population biology, physiology, endocrinology, immunology, functional morphology, behavioral ecology, neurobiology, and conservation biology. The exchange of information among scientists during oral and poster presentations is of great value, but equally important are the personal exchanges and resulting collaborations established in the hallways between sessions and during the numerous topic-based workshops scheduled throughout the congress.Funds provided by NSF will help support the attendance of future leaders of ornithology. Specifically, recipients will be at an early stage in their careers (e.g., graduate students and post-doctoral fellows) and will be from U.S. institutions. The selection committee will also strive to support individuals from groups that are historically underrepresented in ornithology. Assistance of such scientists will help forge new, international collaborations, thereby creating long-term benefits for all involved. For example, a Round Table Discussion at the 2010 International Ornithological Congress resulted in the formation of an international Research Coordination Committee on parrots that now boasts 247 members from all continents. Information from the congress will be made available through publication on CD-ROMs containing the full text of all plenary and symposium talks, as well as the abstracts of all posters and oral presentations. Similarly, a subset of papers will be published in an online open access edition of the Journal of Ornithology.