Young Engineers & Scientists Symposium 2011: A US/France/UK Collaboration in Alterntative Energy Research

Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, College Station TX

Investigators

Abstract

This award creates unique opportunities to bridge US and European technical and policy communities to foster the development of critically needed next-generation alternative energy technologies. It provides 18 travel grants to US students and postdoctoral researchers, including women and under-represented minorities, to attend the Young Engineers and Scientists Symposium 2011 entitled "Alternative Energy: A Global Perspective", a three-day meeting aimed at bringing together a select group of early-career engineers and scientists from the US, France and the United Kingdom. The symposium will facilitate the establishment of new long-term interactions and research partnerships through an agenda crafted to allow participants to discuss a combination of key technical issues, societal and educational topics, and public policy matters related to regulations and funding in the non-fossil energy sector in the US and Europe. Technical sessions will address the core areas of solar, wind, geothermal, biofuel, and nuclear energy with consideration of energy storage and smart energy grids. Other sessions will focus on the following policy issues: international relations in the field of fossil-free energy; economic perspectives regarding new energy supplies; regulation of fossil free energy and government incentives; and education and teaching needs to train the workforce for the development of non-fossil energy. This symposium proposes a schedule of diverse plenary lectures, focused parallel technical sessions, and poster sessions with contributions from industry, academia, and government labs. The workshop is jointly organized by the Texas Engineering Experiment Station at Texas A&M University (TAMU), the TAMU European Union Center, the British Consulate and the Office of the Scientific Attaché of the French Consulate in Houston.