One of our aims is to make graduate students and postdoctoral fellows feel welcome at ICN and to provide opportunities for them to meet with peers outside of their own research group. This is especially important for those attendees who do not speak English as a first language, and for those who are not already connected into the neuroethology network. At the most recent ICNs, >70% of students and postdoctoral researchers who attended the conference participated in the mixer, and responses to the event were strongly positive. Accordingly, we scheduled a reception (with free food and beverages) at the end of the first full day of the meeting that will be limited to graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. At this reception, graduate students and postdoctoral researchers from Lisbon will introduce ISN and the venue, and will facilitate interactions among attendees. These local students will then serve as resources for other student attendees during the congress. They will be a valuable source of feedback to the PC and to the EC about the perceived impact of the Congress, and ways to enhance mentoring opportunities.
