ABSTRACT CTS-9523484 Partial travel support will be provided to a group of young academic researchers to participate and present papers at the International Congress of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (ICTAM), to be held in Kyoto Japan, 25-31 August 1996. The Congress will cover the entire field of theoretical and applied mechanics, being a leading forum for dissemination of fluid and solid mechanics knowledge in the world. Special symposia will be devoted for the following topics: vorticity dynamics and turbulence, non-Newtonian fluid flow, aero- and hydroacoustics, mechanics of heterogeneous and composite solids, solid mechanics in manufacturing, and structural optimization. Specialized sessions in a variety of areas, including, computational fluid mechanics, multiphase flow, contact and friction problems, fracture and crack mechanics, stability of structures, and earthquake engineering, will be included. The U.S. National Committee on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics has as members 14 national societies in engineering, science and mathematics, and is representing U.S. in the International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (IUTAM), the organizer of ICTAM. The NSF grant will partially support travel to the meeting of 15 to 20 young investigators, who will present papers at ICTAM. Their participation is essential for the advancement of the IUTAM objectives to younger academic generation and suitable representation of the U.S. mechanics community at the Congress. ***