Proposal Number: CTS-0628989 Principal Investigator: Chen, Gang Affiliation: MIT Proposal Title: Energy Nanotechnology International Conference (ENIC)
This grant provides partial support for the Energy Nanotechnology International Conference, to be held June 26-28, 2006 at the MIT campus. The conference will feature invited and contributed presentations, poster sessions, and academic-industrial-governmental panels. The funding will support the travel of invited speakers, special grants for students, and best paper awards. The goal of the conference is to convene diverse technical communities working on nano and energy topics to focus on the needs and research opportunities presented by these convergent technologies. By exploiting the significant differences of energy states and transport in nanostructures and macrostructures, nanoscience and nanotechnology can have a profound impact on energy generation, storage, and utilization. This conference will explore nanotechnology-based solutions as they impact a wide range of energy problems such as: solar electricity, hydrogen generation and storage, batteries, fuel cells, and thermoelectrics. All of these applications have common scientific foundations and technological challenges. Exploring these challenges forms the fundamental intellectual merit of this conference. Part of the funding will be used to attract students and junior faculty to attend the conference. The involvement of the MIT Energy Club, a student centered organization, will be beneficial in conference outreach. This club will host activities in the afternoon after the conference to educate the community on energy and nanotechnology. The broader impacts of the conference on technology and people will be substantial.
