Technical Merit: The Polymers Gordon Research Conference (GRC), which will focus on responsive and multifunctional polymers enabling emerging technologies, will provide an exciting forum for leading scientists and engineers from academia, industry, and government to discuss emerging multidisciplinary technologies that bridge traditional boundaries between polymer science and engineering. The GRC is a premiere interdisciplinary conference (typical attendance ranges from 125-170) for the polymer science and engineering community and is offered every two years in the summer. The 2009 GRC is envisioned as an integrated educational forum for the most recent advances in polymer science and engineering, and the meeting subtitle is intentionally broad to bring together experts in diverse fields to address advanced technologies over a wide range disciplines. Such an educational forum is needed at this time to facilitate the collaborations and mutual understanding necessary to catalyze breakthrough polymer-based material solutions from the molecular to the device level. The objectives of the 2009 GRC include (1) dissemination of the most recent advances in polymer science and engineering, (2) education across multiple disciplines, (3) cultivation of collaborations across diverse disciplines, and (4) formation of professional networks.
The 2009 GRS will consist of "mini-symposia" sessions on polymer innovation in biomacromolecules, nanotechnology, catalysis, sustainable polymer chemistry, renewable technologies, rheology and processing, modeling, and electronic, optical, stimuli-responsive, and biomedical materials and devices. Each mini-session will include a discussion leader and 2-3 invited research lectures in the discipline. The invited speakers are widely recognized as leaders in their fields and will deliver focused lectures with broad scientific appeal. Special attention was devoted to the development of a diverse program including under-represented groups, leading universities from across the nation, international participation, and demonstrated innovation across disciplines.
Broader Impact: A Graduate Research Seminar (GRC) will precede the GRC for the first time in an attempt to more significantly impact the graduate student community. The preceding two-day conference will include only graduate student oral presentations, anad studens will be invited to remain for the subsequent GRC. A majority of the graduate students are expected to participate in the subsequent GRC. This forum will provide networking opportunities for some of our nation's top graduate student researchers, including the cultivation of research collaborations and networks for subsequent careers. Broader impact will also involve outreach to industry and national laboratories. international participants will provide opportunities for impact on the international level and the cultivation of bridges to international reseach groups. Special attention was devoted to the formation of a diverse attendance in terms of race and gender. A key metric for success will be the formation of a diverse program and the impact on diverse groups of scientists and engineers.
