13th International Conference on Fundamentals of Adsorption, FOA13

Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta GA

Investigators

Abstract

This award will provide partial travel support for 15-25 U.S.-based graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and junior faculty to attend the 13th International Conference on the Fundamentals of Adsorption (FOA13) in Cairns, Australia on May 26-31, 2019. The meeting is held under the auspices of the International Adsorption Society and is hosted in rotation by U.S., Japanese, and European counterparts. The thematic meeting is devoted to comprehensive coverage of the spectrum of fundamental research and applications of adsorption, ranging from molecular modeling and simulation of fluids adsorbed in porous materials to the design of pressure swing adsorption systems for industrial gas separations processes. Given this breadth, the meeting is well attended by both industrial and academic researchers from across the globe and has become the premier international conference in the field of adsorption. The meeting format, a combination of plenary and parallel oral sessions supplemented by poster sessions, ensures all participants can actively contribute. The upcoming meeting will also be the first time FOA has been held in the southern hemisphere, potentially engaging new participants who would otherwise be unable to attend. Finally, enabling U.S.-based researchers to interact with international counterparts serves to build and strengthen international research infrastructure and offers a vibrant and enriching experience for professional development. The FOA13 organizing committee is comprised of both American and Australian researchers, and invited speakers from the U.S. and Europe feature prominently in the program. The meeting will feature more than 20 technical sessions, daily poster sessions, and unstructured networking periods to catalyze new collaborative relationships and research ideas. The International Conference on the Fundamentals of Adsorption will focus on the following key themes: (1) fundamentals of adsorbents - synthesis, characterization, and properties; (2) molecular modeling of adsorption and adsorbent-adsorbate systems; (3) physical chemistry of adsorbate-adsorbent interactions, multicomponent adsorption, and diffusion; (4) metal-organic frameworks, zeolites, carbons, silicas, nanomaterials, and other micro-and mesoporous materials; (5) gas, liquid, and bio-sorption; (6) process technologies for adsorption-based separation, cyclic adsorption, simulated moving bed, and chromatography; (7) industrial applications areas of gas separations, biochemical separations, and fluid storage; and (8) new apparatus for adsorption measurement and characterization. The meeting is unique in its focus upon fundamental adsorption science. Historically, nearly half of all attendees were graduate students, providing a vibrant and enriching professional development opportunity. The award of travel subsidies is expected to attract young, diverse scientists to a meeting they may not otherwise be able to attend. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.