Project Summary/Abstract The emerging, interdisciplinary field of Bioinspired Materials focuses on developing a fundamental understanding of the synthesis, directed self-assembly and hierarchical organization of naturally occurring materials, and uses this understanding to engineer new bioinspired materials for diverse applications ranging from the delivery of therapeutics, to the assembly of organoids, to the development of artificial membranes and synthetic cells (protocells). Many of these areas are of significant interest to NIBIB. The Gordon Research Conference on Bioinspired Materials will take place June 5-10, 2022 at Les Diablerets Conference Center, Les Diablerets, Switzerland, and seeks to capture the excitement of this burgeoning field with a cutting-edge scientific program and roster of distinguished invited speakers and discussion leaders, in the unique format of a Gordon Conference that guarantees an intimate cross-fertilization of ideas. The conference is intended to focus on unpublished data, define new directions in the discipline, and create a cohesive community by promoting interactions between early stage investigators and senior, established investigators. A significant portion of the program of 2022 GRC on Bioinspired Materials meeting is the development of novel materials that focus on applications to human health, and 1/3 of the confirmed speakers are women. All requested support will be for travel and registration of early stage investigators; typically 67% of attendees at this highly successful conference are in this category. The aims of the conference are to: 1) Create a scientific program that focuses on fundamental research in Bioinspired Materials and a myriad applications, including the delivery of therapeutics, the assembly of functional tissues and organoids, and design of protocells that display motility and deliver drugs on cue; 2) Bring together a diverse group of speakers combining widely acknowledged thought leaders early stage investigators that represent the gender diversity typical of researchers working in the field; 3) Promote cross-disciplinary fertilization of new idea, in the format of a GRC, which is unique a mixture of formal oral presentations, in-depth discussions and informal networking; 4) Create a sense of community by promoting interaction between young and underrepresented scientists and early stage investigators with prominent senior investigators in the field through the oral and poster sessions, and through informal interactions such as social activities during the afternoon and evening; 5) Nurture the future researchers of the field by offering a Gordon Research Seminar (GRS), which will precede the GRC and will offer students and postdocs with comparable levels of education and experience the opportunity to gather, present and discuss their research findings; 6) Idenitify the unique challenges of women in science in general and in this field in specific with a Power Hour – a unique dis...