Collaborative Research: Pan American Nanotechnology Conference 2: Growing Convergence in Nanotechnology: Brazil - March 2020

University Of Houston, Houston TX

Investigators

Abstract

Over the past 20 years, there has been a high level of activity and innovation in nanotechnology with growing understanding at how molecular scale phenomena manifests at the nano scale and eventually the system scale. Additionally, critical societal needs in the areas of energy, water, bioprocessing, and the environment are providing exciting new opportunities for nanotechnology. This project provides support for travel and registration expenses for graduate student, postdoctoral research fellow and faculty attendees of the second Pan American Nanotechnology Conference. The conference will be held from March 4th through 7th of 2020 at the Majestic Hotel, in Aguas de Lindoia, Sao Paulo, Brazil. The conference focus is on nanotechnology broadly and the attendant applications for a wide range of industrial and environmental processes of critical importance to U.S. technology competitiveness. The conference will also provide valuable educational, career development, and networking opportunities for students and early-career researchers. The conference theme of Growing Convergence in Nanotechnology will provide a venue for research convergence in different fields of nanomaterials and nanotechnology, such as social, legal, medical, agricultural, material design and synthesis, and modeling. This will enhance collaborative and impactful research at the nanoscale throughout the Pan American region. The conference will also foster informal discussions and networking that will occur outside of the formal lecture sessions among its participants from North, South and Central America. Such interactions aim to promote the generation of new ideas and new collaborations that assist in moving forward the field of nanotechnology. The organizers have also made special efforts to include women and underrepresented minorities in the conference. The Pan American Nanotechnology Conference will have specific sessions on the applications and impacts of nanotechnology on water quality and treatment, agricultural systems, devices such as sensors, medicine, nanomanufacturing and process intensification. The conference will be held from March 4th through 7th of 2020 at the Majestic Hotel, in Aguas de Lindoia, Sao Paulo, Brazil. The discussions between the speakers and audience will provide valuable feedback on current research efforts and will enable the participants to further develop and refine new ideas for their own research and/or to initiate new collaborative nanotechnology projects. The Pan American Nanotechnology Conference aims to provide a setting where researchers can present their most recent results. The conference will also foster informal discussions and networking that will occur outside of the formal lecture sessions among its participants from North, South and Central America. Such interactions aim to promote the generation of new ideas and new collaborations that assist in moving forward the field of nanotechnology. The organizers have also made special efforts to include women and underrepresented minorities in the conference. Notably the conference will include a modified and expanded Gordon Research Conferences "Power Hour" informal gathering for all meeting participants to discuss the challenges that women, ethnic and gender minorities, persons with disabilities and people with non-traditional background/experience face in science. This event helps to create an awareness of these important issues among the broader community such that the whole community can act to support the professional growth of women and underrepresented groups in science. 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.