Intellectual Merit. The purpose of this proposal is to solicit funds in support of participants to the 2009 Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA) Workshop on Dense, Granular Flows (January 5-9, 2009; Cambridge, United Kingdom).
Granular flows are prevalent in a range of natural and industrial systems, yet a basic understanding of many phenomena is lacking. The IMA workshop provides a unique forum for the exchange of fresh scientific ideas. A guiding principle of this workshop includes the presentation of new, unpublished work followed by free, unhampered discussion among participants from disciplines that normally do not intersect, namely, the physics and engineering communities. This IMA workshop will include speakers from a wide range of disciplines, including Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, Mechanics, and Materials Science, and will involve participants from around the world.
In order to move beyond incremental research, cross-fertilization of participants is needed, which involves not only bringing these scientists together, but also providing an environment that promotes their interaction. The structure of the IMA workshop accomplishes this task via a smaller number of participants (~60), formal discussion periods after every talk, poster sessions, and shared meals and onsite housing.
Broader Impacts. With the help of NSF, financial support will be provided to emerging scientists (students, postdocs, and junior faculty) and underrepresented groups to ensure a diverse audience. The diversity of disciplines and promotion of intensive discussions will provide an environment in which new collaborations can be forged to help tackle longstanding problems, and one in which young scholars can intermingle with established researchers. Such interaction is critical in helping to address the national need for training of U.S. students in the area of particle science.
