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Latin American Initiative

APS AWARDEE RESPONSIBILITIES AND TAX RULES

With the aim of strengthening the ties between APS, sister Physiological Societies in Latin America, and physiologists working in the Americas, APS established The Latin American Initiative. The program began in 2000.

This initiative is handled by the APS International Physiology Committee. Each year, the initiative supports 4 courses/workshops/symposia that are carried out in Latin American countries with participation of APS members. The budget for each course/workshop/symposium is $5,000, which will be provided in the form of reimbursement upon receipt of a final report on the event. Applicants should note that symposia that occur over half a day or less of a conference will not be supported.  However, applications that request funding for symposia combined with other events, such as visits to laboratories or Physiology Departments, that allow Latin American physiologists to have more direct interactions with invited symposium speakers are welcomed.

The deadline for applications is November 2, 2009 for funding in 2010.

Applicants are strongly advised to read the Guidelines for Applicants carefully before submitting an application.

Applicants should note that:

• They must be APS members in good standing.
• Providing ALL of the information requested in the Guidelines for Applicants will increase the likelihood that the application will be successful.
• Applications that request funding only for symposia that occur over half a day or less of a conference will not be supported.

Applications must be submitted online at www.the-aps.org/awardapps. Paper applications will not be accepted.

Questions concerning the Latin American Initiative should be addressed to the Chair of the International Physiology Committee, Ida Llewellyn-Smith (Tel: 61-8-8204-4456; email: ida.llewellyn-smith@flinders.edu.au) or to the APS Executive Director Martin Frank (Tel: 301-634-7118; email: mfrank@the-aps.org).

Guidelines for Applicants

Completing the Application Form
Applications for funding through the Latin American Initiative (LAI) must be made online at www.the-aps.org/awardapps.

Title of the Event
   Please provide the title of the event and indicate whether it is a course, a workshop or a symposium.
Brief Description of the Event
   In 10 lines or less, describe the event. Include a brief summary of  the objectives of the course/workshop/symposium, including who will be the primary beneficiaries and what will be achieved. Note:  Applications that request funding only for symposia that occur over half a day or less of a conference will not be supported.
Organizer Details
   Please provide names, affiliations and postal and email addresses for all of the people who are involved in organizing the event, including the Primary Organizer. All correspondence relating to the application will be sent to the Primary Organizer, who should provide his/her telephone and facsimile numbers in addition to the other contact information requested.
Event Details
    Date: When will the course/workshop/symposium be held?

   Venue: Indicate where the event will be held and what facilities are available. What benefits are expected from holding the event at the proposed location?
   Purpose:  What is the purpose of the course/workshop/symposium?
   Key Participants/Speakers must be identified and contacted prior to submission of the application.  Provide contact details for these people and indicate which are members of APS. Copies of letters or emails from the Key Participants/Speakers confirming their willingness to participate should accompany the application form.
   Target Audience:  At whom is the event aimed?  For example, graduate students and post-doctoral fellows studying neural control of the circulation, comparative physiologists at all career stages who are interested in respiration.
   Expected numbers:  How many people will attend the course/workshop/ symposium? 
   Advertising the Event:  What channels will be used to advertise the course/workshop/ symposium?  Inclusion of regional participants will be viewed favorably.  Outline any strategies to enhance participation by Latin American scientists outside the local institution/area.
   Relationship with other conferences/events:  Will the course/workshop/symposium be held in conjunction with another event?  What will be the relationship of the course/workshop/symposium to the other event?  For example, the course/workshop/symposium is part of another conference or is a satellite that will be held before/after another conference.
   Program:  On the application form, provide an overview of the program in 10 lines or less.  In addition, submit the program or draft program for the event by uploading a .pdf containing this information.  The .pdf containing the program or draft program will be automatically linked to the application form.  The program should indicate the names of presenters, titles of presentations, length of presentations and the format and content of presentations.  The total length of the course/workshop/symposium as well as the structure of presentations should be clearly stated. If the organizers have organized similar courses/workshops/ symposia, include registration information and attendance as historical evidence of previous success.
   Key Outcomes/Benefits: List the ways in which this course/workshop/symposium will benefit Physiology in Latin America and key outcomes for the physiologist who will attend the event (for example, adding to the body of knowledge or skills of Latin American Physiologists).

Budget Details
   Total Budget: Provide a detailed list of income and expenditure items with actual / estimated costs in US dollars.

   Budget items to be supported by the LAI: Indicate which costs (for example, travel, lodging, meals) will be supported by funding from the LAI and present a short justification for each expenditure.  Identify who will be supported (for example, speakers, organizers or students). In general, support for Latin American students, post-doctoral fellows, and young scientists will be viewed more favorably than support for travel and accommodation for speakers from the US.
   Other sources of funding: Evidence that the organizers are seeking or have obtained institutional or other support for the event will be viewed very favorably. Additional support could come from Federal, State or Local Governments, Charities, Universities, Industry, etc. This support could be in the form of provision of audiovisual requirements, accommodation, time and effort of personnel or matching travel support.  On the application form, list the support that has been requested or obtained (either financial or in kind) from other sources.  Letters confirming support from officials representing the supporting organization(s) must be included with the application form.  Submit the letters of support by uploading a .pdf containing the letters.  The .pdf containing the letters of support will be automatically linked to the application form.
   Fees:  Will any fees be charged to registrants for the course/workshop/symposium?  How will these fees be used to offset the cost of the event?

submission of the Application
Applications must be submitted online at www.the-aps.org/awardapps (paper applications will not be accepted) before the deadline of November 2, 2009.

receipt dates and funding timeline
Deadline for the receipt of applications at the APS office is November 2, 2009 for funding in the following calendar year. Applications are reviewed by members of the International Physiology Committee. Funding decisions will be announced after the winter meeting of the APS Council.

final report and reimbursement of expenses
Upon completion of the course/workshop/symposium, a full report must be submitted to the APS office. The report should describe how the course/workshop/symposium fulfilled its proposed goals. Any specific changes from the originally proposed schedule/focus should be clearly outlined. A copy of the final program should accompany the final report. In addition, the final report should include information about how funds were allocated and identify to whom APS should send payment.

Applicants must submit the final report and final program as an Adobe Acrobat file. Save the .pdf as "LAI Year_Surname of Primary Organizer_Final Report.pdf" (e.g. "LAI2010_Smith_Final Report.pdf). Attach the .pdf to an email and send the email to the APS Executive Office, attention Esther Samuel at esamuel@the-aps.org. Reimbursement will be made once the final report has been received.