This proposal requests support for the 2008 Gordon Conference on Catalysis. The conference, which will be held at Colby-Sawyer College in New London, New Hampshire, on June 22 to June 27, 2008, will bring together leading experts to discuss 1) novel catalytic materials and approaches, 2) diffusion and transport, 3) metals and active sites, 4) catalytic fundamentals, 5) biocatalysis and 6) current topics in catalysis. The GRC on Catalysis is one of the most prestigious catalysis conferences as it allows leading researchers from around the world to discuss their latest, most exciting work in catalysis. The format of the conference encourages discussion of unpublished cutting edge results and extensive formal and informal communication among the participants. The 2008 conference will continue this tradition. The conference will cover a variety of themes including new catalytic materials, theoretical and experimental approaches to improve understanding of kinetics and transport phenomena, and state of the art nanoscale characterization probes to monitor active sites. The speakers represent the leaders from around the world in their areas of research.
Catalysis is a key technology for improving the quality of life while simultaneously reducing the adverse impact of human activities on the environment and enhancing the economic impact of our activities. The discovery of new catalytic processes and the improvement of existing ones are also critically important for securing the nation?s energy supply. A special effort will be made to support young scientists who otherwise would be unable to attend: junior faculty members, postdoctoral fellows and advanced graduate students. Participation by young catalytic researchers will add significant value to this conference and will foster communications among current and future leaders in a field that combines academic and industrial issues. The poster sessions provide an excellent venue for the students to present their results and traditionally the best 3 or 4 posters are selected for short oral presentations. The conference promotes interactions among established researchers and young scientists. It provides a venue for students to meet, talk to and learn from some of the world leading researchers in the area.
