# International Zebrafish Conference

> **NIH NIH R13** · STOWERS INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH · 2024 · $15,000

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
We propose a series of five annual International Zebrafish Conferences rotating between locations in
the US/Canada, Europe and Asia-Pacific that discuss progress made using zebrafish as a model
organism to study vertebrate development, homeostasis, and disease. These conferences, to be held in
the summers of 2023 – 2027, will be the 18th- 22nd meetings in a successful series initiated in 1994 and
partially supported by this grant since 2000. The goal of the meetings is to facilitate communication of
cutting-edge research studies on an array of topics to a wide and inclusive cross-section of the zebrafish
research community of over 1,500 laboratories. To ensure that the zebrafish researchers, US-based and from
different countries, can participate each year, we organized the 2022 conference in a hybrid format, which
combined in-person and virtual participation. Such hybrid format reduces the economic, geographic and the
Covid-19 pandemic-imposed barriers to participation; it is environmentally sustainable and based on the success
in 2022, we plan to extend it to future conferences.
The International Zebrafish Conference provides an opportunity for zebrafish researchers to share their
most recent discoveries and new technologies. A diverse group of speakers is selected from the submitted
abstracts by the organizers and session chairs, based on impact, demographics and novelty with a strong
emphasis on unpublished data. Thus, the Conferences have historically had a major “slingshot” effect on
the field, launching new eras of research and discovery. Continuing in the tradition of previous conferences,
we expect that the proposed conferences will succeed in creating opportunities for sharing results and
technologies, forging collaborations, coordinating community resources, and fostering the exposure and
success of junior investigators and trainees. Importantly, the International and European Zebrafish Societies
embrace the notion that highly talented scientists of diverse backgrounds provide a richness and breadth of
varied approaches, expertise and perspectives that not only advance knowledge, but also greatly enrich the
scientific discourse at a conference. We, therefore, assembled a thoughtful diversity plan that outlines strategies
to increase the number of researchers from traditionally underrepresented groups.
The Conference has historically drawn zebrafish researchers of both genders in approximately equal
proportions, at a wide range of career levels with strong representation of students, post-docs, and both
junior and senior faculty. This grant will support 40 conference grants (registration/housing/travel of in-person
and registration of virtual) US-based participants and will support a virtual technology for these hybrid
conferences. These 40 US-based recipients of financial support will be chosen based on the impact and
originality of their abstracts, as well as on the basis of gender, race, career stage and need.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10814357
- **Project number:** 5R13HD038685-20
- **Recipient organization:** STOWERS INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH
- **Principal Investigator:** Tatjana Piotrowski
- **Activity code:** R13 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $15,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2000-04-18 → 2028-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10814357

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10814357, International Zebrafish Conference (5R13HD038685-20). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10814357. Licensed CC0.

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