Conference: FoVea: Creating opportunities in the Vision Sciences.

FoVea is a group whose mission is to create opportunities for all who want to participate in the field of Vision Science. Over the past 10 years, FoVea has launched several initiatives to develop the workforce in the Vision Sciences. The current workshop proposal continues these initiatives. Specifically, this workshop supports (1) a Travel and Networking award program for junior scientists; (2) professional development workshops at the Vision Sciences Society annual meeting; (3) a speaker list highlighting a broad variety of Vision Scientists ; (4) a “playbook” to ensure the longevity of FoVea activities and generational knowledge; and (5) joint activities with Visibility and the SPARK Society to promote the professional development of the Vision Sciences community. The award includes an external evaluation component to assess implementation and stakeholder perceptions of FoVea activities. These efforts complement NSF’s goal of creating opportunities everywhere in STEM. 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.