Student Travel Support for the 2022 International Ornithological Congress

国际鸟类学大会（IOC）可以说是世界上最重要的鸟类科学家聚会。这个会议每四年举行一次，它是鸟类学领域的一个里程碑。下一届国际奥委会将于2022年8月14日至20日在南非德班举行。国际奥委会的一个重要传统是支持学生参与和培养下一代科学家。该奖学金将为参加国际奥委会会议的美国学生提供经济援助，帮助他们支付与会议有关的旅费和住宿费。资金还将用于鼓励在科学领域代表性不足的群体的参与，包括黑人、西班牙裔、印第安人、土著太平洋岛民、残疾人、退伍军人和第一代大学生。此外，奖项评选委员会将从学生旅行资金不足或无法获得的机构和研究实验室中寻找学生。2022年国际奥委会不仅将让学生接触到来自世界各地的前沿研究，还将为个人和职业发展提供重要机会。会议是学生们学习他们所在领域更广泛的行为准则的地方，它们帮助学生们内化他们的职业身份。此外，国际奥委会将提供许多机会，让学生展示他们的研究成果，并通过现场演讲、科学海报和录像讲座为科学记录做出贡献。学生参加像国际奥委会这样的会议对于维持一个充满活力的科学界至关重要，2022年国际奥委会将在学生与会者的职业生涯中发挥关键作用。2022年国际鸟类学大会（IOC）的学生旅行支持将由一个国际专家小组管理，该小组将审查并对所有学生申请进行排名。除了国家科学基金之外，该小组还将监督来自其他学生资助来源的捐款的分配；然而，所有的NSF基金将专门用于美国学生。学生将申请旅行支持作为注册过程的一部分，选拔委员会将以鼓励STEM领域中代表性不足的群体以及可能缺乏实验室或学术部门经济支持的学生参与的方式分配资金。2022年国际奥委会的学生与会者将受益于一个丰富的跨学科研究的科学项目，以及一些促进学生研究和专业发展的特殊活动。科学计划组织了大约45个专题讨论会以及几个口头报告的公开会议。学生可以参加专题讨论会或公开会议，他们也可以展示海报和5分钟的快速演讲。作为IOC新形式的一部分，所有对科学项目的贡献都需要提交预先录制的视频演示。这些视频将被汇编成将在网上发布的数字会议记录，并附有引文指南和数字对象标识符。因此，在2022年国际奥委会对学生参与者的众多好处中，有一个直接的方法可以为科学记录做出贡献。尽管正在进行的COVID-19大流行使2022年国际奥委会的规划（以及在线备份计划）变得非常谨慎，但参加2022年国际奥委会提供的面对面科学对话将是年轻科学家教育的重要组成部分。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 International Ornithological Congress (IOC) is arguably the world’s most important gathering of avian scientists. This conference occurs every four years, and it serves as a milestone within the discipline of ornithology. The next IOC will take place August 14-20, 2022 in Durban, South Africa. A key tradition at the IOC is supporting student participation and nurturing the next generation of scientists. This award will provide financial assistance for students in the United States to attend the IOC by helping them pay for travel and lodging associated with the meeting. Funds will also be used to encourage participation of groups that are underrepresented in science fields, including Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans, Native Pacific Islanders, people with disabilities, veterans, and first-generation college students. Moreover, the award selection committee will seek out students from institutions and research labs where funding for student travel is scant or unavailable. The 2022 IOC will not only expose students to cutting-edge research from all over the world, but will also provide key opportunities for personal and professional development. Conferences are where students learn the broader rules of conduct for their field, and they help students internalize their professional identities. Moreover, the IOC will provide many opportunities for students to showcase their research and contribute to the scientific record through live presentations, scientific posters, and video-recorded talks. Student participation in conferences like the IOC is critical for perpetuating a vibrant scientific community, and the 2022 IOC is poised to play a pivotal role in the careers of its student attendees. Support for student travel to the 2022 International Ornithological Congress (IOC) will be administered by an international panel of experts who will review and rank all student applications. In addition to NSF funds, this panel will oversee distribution of contributions from other sources of student support; however, all NSF funds will be earmarked for US students. Students will apply for travel support as part of the registration process, and the selection committee will distribute funds in a manner that encourages participation of underrepresented groups in STEM fields as well as students who may lack financial support from their labs or academic departments. Student attendees at the 2022 IOC will benefit from a scientific program that is rich in interdisciplinary research as well as several special events that promote student research and professional development. The scientific program is organized around 45 topical symposia as well as several open sessions for oral presentations. Students may contribute to symposia or open sessions, and they may also present posters and 5-minute ‘speed talks.’ As part of a new IOC format, all contributions to the scientific program will require submission of a pre-recorded video presentation. These videos will be compiled into digital proceedings that will be published online, complete with citation guidelines and digital object identifiers. Hence, among the many benefits to student participants at the 2022 IOC, there is a straightforward means to contribute to the scientific record. Although, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has warranted extreme caution in the planning of the 2022 IOC (as well as a backup plan to go online), the in-person scientific dialog afforded by attendance at the 2022 IOC will be a vital component in the education of young scientists.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.