18th International Congress on Plant-Microbe Interactions Travel Awards, Glasgow, Scotland, July 2019

第18届国际植物与微生物相互作用大会（IC-MPMI）将于2019年7月14日至7月18日在苏格兰格拉斯哥召开。在过去的36年里，这个会议一直是宣布和讨论最具创新性的科学发现的主要论坛，这些发现阐明了植物和微生物相互作用的分子事件。该计划将包括使用不同生物系统研究病原和共生关系的成熟和年轻研究人员。全体会议和同期会议将重点介绍对农业科学进步至关重要的基础研究（如植物免疫系统、病原体毒力机制、植物微生物群和共生的进化/生态/细胞生物学）以及转化研究（如疾病控制的新方法、突破性技术和主粮作物工程）的最新进展。来自美国国家科学基金会的资金将用于部分支付研究生，博士后研究人员和早期职业教师的旅费，以便他们能够负担得起参加这次会议。特别注意促进少数民族、妇女、第一代学生和残疾人的更广泛参与。重要的是，本次会议推动的植物与微生物相互作用的研究和教育取得的进展，对于确保高质量作物的持续生产和满足21世纪全球对粮食和能源日益增长的需求至关重要。IC-MPMI的一个重要而独特的功能是联合研究专家，否则他们将不会交叉路径（例如，专家研究和实施新技术，工具和方法来解决与植物-微生物相互作用相关的各种问题）。过去的会议在促进科学信息交流、批判性讨论和在广泛的研究主题和地理位置建立强有力的合作方面取得了成功。会议还为研究生和博士后提供了重要的培养价值。旅行研究金获得者将参加一个旨在促进公众宣传的小型会议讲习班。作为研讨会的一部分，获奖者将准备一段简短的“电梯演讲”，旨在用简单的语言解释他们项目的目的和意义。会谈将被录下来，在会议期间展示，并发布在社交媒体上。这些活动旨在加强学生的参与和学习，并告知其他不能参加本次会议的人。我们预计，新的学生研讨会将培养下一代科学家成功所需的新联系。一些参与研究的科学家与开发农业技术的公司和研究所有联系。对于那些对政府和行业相关研究感兴趣的人来说，学生接触这些实体将是关键。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The 18th International Congress on Plant-Microbe Interactions (IC-MPMI) will convene in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 14 through July 18, 2019. For the last 36 years, this meeting has been the premier forum for announcing and discussing the most innovative scientific discoveries elucidating the molecular events by which plants and microbes interact. The program will include a mix of established and young investigators working on pathogenic and symbiotic associations using diverse biological systems. The plenary and concurrent sessions will highlight the latest advances in fundamental research (e.g. plant immune system, pathogen virulence mechanisms, and the evolution/ecology/cell biology of plant microbiomes and symbioses) as well as translational studies (e.g. novel approaches for disease control, breakthrough technologies, and engineering staple food crops) critical for advancements in agricultural science. Funding from the National Science Foundation will be used to partially defray the travel costs of graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and early career faculty so that they can afford to attend this conference. Special attention has been made to promote broader participation of minorities, women, first-generation students, and the disabled. Importantly, advances through research and education in plant-microbe interactions facilitated by this conference are fundamental to ensure sustained production of high-quality crops and to meet the increasing demands for food and energy worldwide in the 21st century.An important and unique function of the IC-MPMI is to unite research specialists who otherwise would not cross paths (e.g. specialists studying and implementing new technologies, tools and approaches to solve diverse questions related to plant-microbe interactions). Past meetings have been successful at fostering the exchange of scientific information, critical discussion, and establishing strong collaborations across a broad range of research topics and geographic locations. The meeting has also provided significant training value for graduate students and post-doctoral scholars. Travel fellowship awardees will participate in a small meeting workshop designed to promote public outreach. As part of this workshop, awardees will prepare a short 'elevator talk' designed to explain the purpose and significance of their projects in simple terms. Talks will be recorded, presented during the conference, and posted on social media. These activities are expected to enhance student participation and learning, as well as inform others who are not able to attend this meeting. We anticipate that the new student workshop will foster new connections required for the success of our next generation of scientists. Several of the participating scientists have links to companies and institutes developing agricultural technology. Student exposure to these entities will be key for those interested in government and industry-related research.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.