North American Testis Workshop 2026

This R13 application requests funds to support the XXVIIIth North American Testis Workshop “Of Flies, Mice, and Men: Novel Models that are Changing our Understanding of Testis Biology”, which will be held from April 15-18, 2026, at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Scottsdale Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Workshop will be held immediately prior to the annual meeting of the American Society of Andrology at the same venue. Since 1972, the North American Testis Workshop has been the foremost international forum for both basic and clinician-scientists to present and discuss their recent findings on the development, regulation, and functions of the testis. The Workshop regularly attracts 150-200 attendees from North America and around the world. It is also an important scientific platform for the next generation of testis biologists; approximately one-third of the Workshop participants are trainees. The requested R13 funds will be used to help defray travel costs for 20 trainees and/or early-career investigators who are selected based on scientific merit of the submitted abstracts. R13 funds will also be used to offset a portion of the accommodation costs for the 15 invited speakers. The main objectives of the Workshop are: 1) to provide a platform for the dissemination and discussion of new discoveries on testis biology, especially novel data obtained using the latest omics strategies as well as new biotechnologies (single cell, gene editing) and models of study (atypical species models, artificial intelligence). By combining multiple strategies, conference participants will be provided with a more complete picture of testis biology at the cellular and molecular levels. It will also inspire and encourage translation of the new knowledge to clinical applications and accelerate drug discovery and therapeutics; (2) to create opportunities for scientific exchange and collaborations among peers to foster career growth and to ensure continued advances in the field of testis biology; (3) to offer a forum for trainees (fellows, postdocs and graduate students) and early-career investigators (within the first five years of independent research) to present their research, receive feedback from established investigators, and build professional relationships, all of which are known to be critical for intellectual, scientific, professional, and academic growth. Project Number: 1R13HD122397-01 | Fiscal Year: 2026 | NIH Institute/Center: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) | Principal Investigator: Monika Ward | Institution: UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA, HONOLULU, HI | Award Amount: $20,000 | Activity Code: R13 | Study Section: Special Emphasis Panel[ZRG1 SCIL-T (80)] View on NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11391951