NanoFlorida 2022

University Of Florida, Gainesville FL

Investigators

Abstract

The proposed NanoFlorida Conference addresses important needs that existing international, national, and regional conferences on related topics do not address. Specifically, there is a need for a conference to meaningfully engage and support the intellectual and professional advancement of students involved in nanoscale research from diverse fields and diverse backgrounds. Given the breadth of the science, engineering, and applications of nanotechnology, there are many global international, national, and regional conferences that support the dissemination of research advances and the engagement and technical exchange between leading researchers and companies active in these fields. These conferences are typically quite large, intimidating, costly, and in some cases quite difficult to get student work accepted for presentation. These significant barriers can greatly limit the participation of students, particularly those involved in less well funded labs and at the early stages of their academic career. The NanoFlorida conference sets itself apart from the larger international, national, and regional conferences for nanoscale research by engaging students at an unprecedented level and not only involving them as technical contributors and presenters but also as conference organizers. NanoFlorida is intentionally sized to be small enough and low cost enough that students can present their research themselves and so that a broader range of students and faculty can build and strengthen a nanotechnology community of scholars. Intellectual Merit: The objective of this conference proposal is to support the expanded and inclusive engagement of more students from more background in the NanoFlorida 2022 Conference. Specifically, NSF funding will be used to support the involvement of more students in this enriching event, advance their understanding of cutting-edge nanotechnology research, facilitate their professional development, and greatly lower the student cost to register for the meeting and for in-state travel. The proposed objective will be achieved by offering the reimbursement of student registration costs and in some cases partial to full in-state travel support. By providing financial support for the NanoFlorida 2022 Conference, the NSF will advance the understanding of state-of-the-art research in nanoscale science, engineering, and technology by a larger and more inclusive student population that previous years. In addition, the student attending will have opportunities to improve key professional skills and expand their technical network.The success of the NanoFlorida 2022 Conference will be evaluated by using a pre-conference and a post-conference survey. The pre-conference survey will include questions about their pre-conference knowledge of / experience with nanoscale research concepts and their expectations for the conference. The post-conference survey will include questions about their improved understanding of nanoscale research concepts and the selection of keynote speakers, quality of presentations, conference amenities and services, usefulness of professional-development and networking activities for students, and the impact of the conference on their interest in nanotechnology, academic major, and future career. Broader Impacts: NanoFlorida conferences expose students to the latest nanotechnology research and its applications. A conference like NanoFlorida is an ideal venue for graduate and undergraduate students to hone their science-communication skills. The audiences are big enough so that the presentation is meaningful to the student but not too large and formal so that they are nervous to present. Students will meet researchers from other schools and from industry. These professional relationships will provide long-term benefits to student careers in science, technology, engineering, and math fields. Learning about nanotechnology, developing communication skills, and networking with researchers from academia and industry are important steps that prepare students to join the nanotechnological workforce upon their graduation. Using NSF funds to eliminate the financial barrier, which may have prevented the participation of some students from underrepresented groups, underrepresented Florida institutions, and less well funded research groups in the past, could enable more diverse students to attend, present their research, and benefit from the conference's intellectual, professional, and career development activities. 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.