Conference: Advancing research on the neurobiology of language

This project supports a conference that advances a scientific understanding of how the brain processes language, knowledge that is critical for developing brain-inspired artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The conference serves as a model for inclusive practices, making participation possible for all interested attendees. The project's goal is to ensure that a major conference in the language and brain sciences is accessible to all Americans. These practices are designed to make the conference more accessible to improve the quality of the conference experience for everyone. In doing so, more people contribute to research that supports brain-inspired AI and other important technologies. Other benefits to society include creating and sharing resources to help future conferences adopt similar standards to support involvement from all Americans in research communities. The project centers on a scientific meeting that explores the neural and cognitive foundations of language, drawing participants from a wide range of disciplines such as linguistics, artificial intelligence, and neurology. The conference features empirical research presentations, theoretical discussions, and methodological advances in the study of language and the brain. This award supports infrastructure required to make the meeting accessible to all Americans, including professional interpreting and captioning services, accessible physical spaces, and mentoring for attendees. Post-conference surveys and planning documentation inform best practices for organizing scientific conferences and workshops. These outcomes are widely disseminated and archived to promote long-term improvements in making language and cognitive science studies available to all. 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.