Undergraduate Travel Support to the International Conference for Infant Studies: 2024 - 2028

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Abstract The purpose of this conference travel grant proposal is to secure funds to facilitate undergraduate student involvement in the biennial International Conference on Infant Studies, with a particular focus on students from underrepresented groups. Meetings are held every two years in spring or summer, both in U.S. and international locations. Undergraduates play a large role in infant research, and the goal of this initiative is to provide support for them to attend the conferences and thus inspire them to pursue a career in STEM. From previously NICHD funded R13 initiatives, we have evidence that such attendance encourages students to pursue developmental science in graduate school or other allied disciplines. Moreover, it allows students to see the central role of science in the study of development. The future success of the field of infancy research depends on diversity of researchers, participants, and questions. This initiative dovetails nicely with national efforts to engage ethnic and racial minority undergraduate students in science and to encourage their continued engagement following graduation. This initiative also aligns with the efforts of the International Congress on Infant Studies (ICIS), the organization that sponsors the biennial conferences. Promotion of undergraduate research experiences will result in the next generation of diverse infancy researchers. This proposal seeks to support student travel to the next three conferences – 2024, 2026, and 2028 – with $20,000 per conference (total request is $60,00). This funding rate should offset travel expenses for 20 undergraduates per meeting. In addition to learning about the latest research in infancy science, undergraduates will receive pre-conference support to prepare for the experience, an introductory session at the conference focused on making the most of their time at the conference and conference etiquette, networking opportunities for undergraduates to learn about graduate school and post-college employment, and a post- conference debrief. Finally, both short-term (immediately following the conference) and longer- term assessments (up to 6 years later) will evaluate outcomes.