Funds are requested to provide travel and subsistence support for 12 U.S. graduates students to attend the 2011 International IEEE Magnetics Society Summer School in New Orleans. The International Magnetism Summer School is the IEEE Magnetics Society?s main outreach effort to promote education in the field of magnetism and attract more young scientists to choose a research career in magnetism and related areas. The one-week Magnetism Summer School is designed for graduate students studying magnetism and related areas. It will consist of lectures by international experts and will include poster presentations by participating graduate students. The program will cover fundamentals and advanced topics in magnetism. The summer school is a unique opportunity for young scientists to meet leaders in their field in a relaxed and collegial atmosphere and to begin establishing a network of colleagues in the research community. The Magnetics Society has allocated $106,000 which will be used primarily to provide with free room and board and reimburse for most of the travel expenses for 65 students from all over the world including the United States. The funds requested from NSF will allow additional U.S. graduate students to attend the Summer School and interact with peers internationally. Intellectual Merit The Summer School provides a forum for exchange of information in the field of magnetics research. In addition to formal lectures, each participating student is required to present a poster about their current research. These topics are discussed amongst the students and lecturers during poster sessions. Broader Impact The broader impact of the Summer School lies in the education of young scientists and researchers in a fast-moving and economically important field. Participants will learn both fundamental as well as advanced topics through lectures delivered by internationally-renowned experts. In addition, there is a degree of cultural education, teaching young scientists to interact with and respect their colleagues from other countries. The students will be co-housed with peers from different nationalities fostering interaction and cultural exchange. The organizers of the Summer School particularly encourage women and underrepresented minorities to apply. The program committee also strives for diversity in the lecturers selected for the summer school to provide role models for female and minority students.
Research in magnetism is a global endeavor with very strong, government-supported research clusters in Europe, Asia, Canada and Latin America. In order for the U.S. research institutions to remain competitive and maintain their leadership role it is important for U.S. students to have exceptional educational opportunities and to begin early on to exchange ideas with their counterparts in other countries. This project allowed 14 US graduate students to attend the 2011 IEEE Magnetics Society Summer School at the University of New Orleans. The Magnetism Summer School is the IEEE Magnetics Society's main outreach effort to promote education in the field of magnetism and attract more young scientists to choose a research career in magnetism and related areas such as permanent magnets for energy efficiency, magnetic nanoparticles for biomedical applications and spintronics for low-power electronics. Being an international organization, the IEEE Magnetics Society supports students from all over the world to attend the Summer School. In addition to the 29 students from US institutions sponsored by the Magnetics Society, funds from the National Science Foundation (NSF) provided additional opportunities for 14 US students, including 4 female and 1 African-American students. The organizers of the Summer School particularly encouraged women and underrepresented minorities to apply. With the additional support from NSF the IEEE Magnetics Summer School was able to have a record student body of 100 pupils hailing from 23 different countries spanning five continents. A record 27% of the students were women. The students, who were selected from the applications, received full room and board during the school and were reimbursed for most of their travel expenses to New Orleans. The technical program consisted of lectures by the most distinguished educators of the Society. All four of the current IEEE Magnetics Society Distinguished Lecturers made an appearance as well as several previous Distinguished Lectures. Each student presented a poster on their particular research topic. The poster session provided an excellent, low-pressure forum for the students to discuss their work with each other and the lecturers. There were additional opportunities for discussion and networking during regular coffee and lunch breaks as well as on a very memorable Mississippi steamboat excursion sponsored by the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs of the University of New Orleans.
