Support of Student Participation in the 10th North American Paleontological Convention

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The North American Paleontological Convention (NAPC) is held every four years to bring together disparate parts of the paleontological sciences that otherwise seldom meet. It is supported by paleontological groups headquartered in North America and is open to all who are interested in paleontology. The meeting planned for February 15-18, 2014 at the University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida will be the tenth NAPC. A unique aspect of the 10th NAPC will be the encouragement of participation among amateurs and hobbyists, including a dedicated symposium that celebrates their contributions. Pre-meeting and post-meeting field trips, which take advantage of the numerous world-class fossil localities in Florida, are available (for details see: www.flmnh.ufl.edu/napc/). NSF has supported the participation of American students in previous NAPCs and this proposal requests funds to support students at the 2014 meeting. Based on past experience, the Organizing Committee anticipates that about 100-150 students will attend. The support will be used for two purposes. First of all funds will be provided to the meeting organizers to reduce the cost of student registration. Secondly, funds will be available to support the travel costs for some students to the meeting. Grantees will be selected on the basis of merit, and appropriate attention will be paid to the need to support minority groups and women. To avoid misunderstanding, the term 'student' applies to any US graduate or undergraduate students in good academic standing, regardless of their institution or field of study. Those who have received a final degree within the past three years (June 2010-June 2013) and currently hold a temporary post-doctorate position or are unemployed in the field will also be eligible for this grant program. A formal verification of current status will be required from the primary academic advisor.