DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal by the Program Co-Chair (as PI) seeks support of selected junior and protected-class podium speakers, and 3 graduate student poster research presentation awards at the Thirteenth International Symposium on Recent Advances in Drug Delivery Systems, Salt Lake City, UT, February 26-28, 2007. The general theme of the 2007 technical drug delivery conference is centered on "overcoming long-standing barriers", more specifically focused on addressing molecular, cellular and tissue barriers to effective drug targeting, penetration, formulation, and efficacy. The program design maintains its highly regarded tradition in assembling oral sessions comprising world-renowned pharmaceutical scientists, bioengineers, industrial scientists, and clinicians all seeking solutions to compelling drug delivery problems. Overall specific aims in producing this meeting are to: 1) Provide a rich, diverse scientific program focusing on both fundamental and clinical phenomena that limit drug therapeutic efficacy in several important disease contexts (i.e., hurdles of translational research), as well as key areas of biotechnology where investigators are proposing solutions to drug delivery, imaging, tissue engineering problems; 2) Gather a group of presenters and participants comprising widely acknowledged thought-leaders as well as younger, aggressive, and vibrant faculty and research trainees already noted for novel and quality work. Speakers and session chairs will represent both academic and commercial drug delivery efforts: perspectives and leadership from both fundamental research and clinical applications. The program is already mature and detailed herein, including persons from underrepresented scientific groups. Emphasis will be placed on supporting the more junior participants and under-represented populations involved in these areas. This group will similarly represent the gender diversity characteristic of faculty working in these areas; 3) Facilitate interactions between junior and under-represented minority scientists and faculty working in the formulation, biotechnology, gene delivery, biomaterials, drug targeting, bio-conjugation and imaging areas with prominent senior and international investigators in the field. Support is requested both for selected speaker participation costs and 3 junior scientist poster travel awards.