I thought some of you might want to know about a new source of funding for scientists who plan on attending a Gordon Research Conference in 2006:

The Nature Publishing Group (NPG) supports the broadest possible participation of qualified scientists in scientific conferences. To forward this goal NPG has established the NPG Awards to help assuage one of the factors that prevents conferees from various countries with developing economies from attending the renowned Gordon Research Conferences. NPG has provided limited funds for individuals from developing nations to attend Gordon Research Conferences in 2006. Applicants from all nations/regions are eligible, except those nations/regions listed below. [click here to see the list of non-eligible countries]

You need to be accepted to a 2006 GRC in order to apply for funding, and you could get up to $1,500…

Joshua

Joshua Finkelstein (Associate Editor, Nature)

Ask people what they associate with Finland and the one thing everyone mentions is they’ve heard the language is fiendishly difficult. It certainly is—especially, if, like me, you are trying to get an uncooperative ( and non-English speaking) ticket machine to sell you a train ticket back to your hotel after a long day at the Human Genome Meeting in Helsinki. Still, the experience does make me sympathise with the scientists who are trying to decode the information encrypted in our DNA. Because if my Berlitz pocket phrasebook is anything to go by, it seems as though the human genome is written in Finnish.

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