ABSTRACT
This R13 application seeks funding for our annual American Society for Neural Therapy and Repair
(ASNTR) meeting to support i) travel awards for undergraduate and graduate students, medical students
and postdoctoral fellows to be held in Clearwater, FL on April 25-27, 2024 and ii) a workshop held onsite
at the start of the meeting for all trainees and interested parties to attend. The Societies’ Education and
Training Committee, currently chaired by Dr. Agnes Luo, was established to promote the participation and
development of our trainees within the society. To accomplish this goal, each year the Committee encourages
students and postdocs to submit their abstracts for a competitive travel award. These abstracts are judged by
the Education and Training Committee and gives scores based on criteria that include 1) Creativity of scientific
approach; 2) Selection of outcome measures with emphasis on rigor and reproducibility; 3) Quality of writing;
and 4) Potential impact on the field. The top-rated students/postdocs from both US and non-US institutions are
awarded travel funds to defray the cost of attending the meeting. Additionally, the top students and post-doctoral
winners are invited to give oral presentations at the conference. All trainees receiving travel awards are required
to attend the Workshop. A “Meet and Greet” session follows the Workshop, where attendees are introduced to
an individual mentor that they pre-selected via our online system. We hope this additional, personal interaction
will provide additional support for our trainees throughout their scientific career, beyond the annual conference
and the Workshop. We also plan for a dedicated session of presentations by the top travel award winners, and
a data blitz for all trainees, giving everyone the opportunity to give a (brief) oral presentation in a relaxed
environment.
This R13 application seeks funding to support travel awards for undergraduate and graduate students, as
well as postdoctoral fellows to present their findings at the ASNTR meeting. Special emphasis has been made
to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion among Society members, meeting attendees, and travel awardees.