This award is an international travel grant to the American Rock Mechanics Association Foundation (ARMA/F) to support the U.S. delegate to the 2013, 2014 and 2015 International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM) Council meetings and symposia. The U.S. delegate is Peter Smeallie, the executive director of ARMA and the ARMA/F. Mr. Smeallie serves on the ISRM Council and represents the interests of the U.S. rock mechanics community. The U.S. delegate will attend the ISRM Council and Commission meetings, as appropriate, in Poland in 2013, Japan in 2014, and Montreal in 2015.
Participation in the work of the ISRM enhances U.S. geo-engineering and rock mechanics by providing an international perspective on important issues currently being addressed by ISRM, such as international underground research laboratories, radioactive waste disposal, rock testing methods, application of geophysics in rock mechanics, and post-mining rock mechanics. The ISRM meetings, at which up to 51 nations participate, will also allow the opportunity to generate international interest in U.S. rock mechanics research and education. U.S. participation in the activities of ISRM has a direct impact on issues of national importance through collaborative alliances fostered by the international society. These areas include resource exploration and production, national security issues, environmental considerations, and civil infrastructure systems through advances in tunneling and excavation technologies.
