Conference: 12th North American Paleontological Convention, Ann Arbor, MI - June 17 to June 21, 2024

The 12th North American Paleontological Convention (NAPC) will occur between 17-21 June 2024, hosted at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (U-M). This large international conference occurs every 4–6 years. NAPC offers a unique opportunity for a broad interaction of individuals from all sub-disciplines of paleontology that collectively address a range of questions about how Earth’s life and environments have changed over time. During NAPC, attendees share the latest research, formulate new areas of investigation, participate in instructional workshops and field courses, meet new collaborators, and provide or receive mentoring in research and career development. This award broadens participation through registration support for students, avocational paleontologists, and paleontological artists. Additional participant support provides accommodation and registration for early-career individuals participating in a mentoring program. Other events supported by this award will offer opportunities for community-building, networking, and education, including Early Career and Diverse Paleoscientists and Allies events, plus a plenary session open to the public. NAPC brings together hundreds individuals in a variety of roles (faculty, students, museum professionals, technicians, artists, and members of the public) to meet, exchange ideas, learn, and mentor in topics related to paleontology and adjacent disciplines. In addition to contributed talks and thematic symposia, NAPC supports technical workshops with a training component, events for groups within our discipline to foster networking and community building, and field trips highlighting regional geology, paleontology, and collections-based resources. The meeting at U-M is designed to increase participation, including by key contributors to the discipline like artists and avocational paleontologists, by offering financial support and dedicated sessions or events for these parts of the community. The meeting also includes a plenary session, live-streamed and open to the public, that highlights the diversity of contributions to paleontology, historical biases in the discipline and paleontological data, and the utility of deep-time data for addressing societal issues. 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.