Conference: International Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology, Education and Research-BEER-XVI ASPIRE Advancing Sustainable Partnerships Integrating Research and Education

This award will support a conference on November 3-5, 2023 to be held in Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Virginia (https://about.illinoisstate.edu/beer/). The International Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology, Education and Research (BEER) provides an opportunity for undergraduate students, graduate students, and early career researchers, especially those from underrepresented groups, to advance their research and mentoring portfolio in the area of mathematical and computational modeling in health and data science. It will facilitate interactions and discussions in an international and diverse environment for initiating interdisciplinary collaboration covering health and data science and motivate students who attend universities designated by NSF as minority institutions and/or students from underrepresented groups who come from economically disadvantaged families as well as from local community colleges to pursue graduate studies and know more about funding opportunities. In addition, the broader community of Biomathematics researchers and teachers will become aware of the latest developments in the area through the proceedings. BEER aims to provide an opportunity for undergraduate students, graduate students, and early career researchers to advance their research and mentoring portfolio in the area of mathematical and computational modeling in health and data science. The panel discussions in BEER will include interdisciplinary research, career and professional development for early career researchers and faculty. The sessions and discussions are novel in promoting interactions and collaborations of leading and young researchers including underrepresented minorities with different areas of expertise at the interface of mathematics, biology, modeling, health, and data science. This year's theme ASPIRE (Advancing Sustainable Partnerships Integrating Research and Education) will celebrate diversity in research by connecting members from underrepresented backgrounds, ethnicity, and genders while obtaining advice and inspiration from leaders in academia and industry at the interface of applied mathematics and public health and data sciences fields. 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.