This award from the Chemical Synthesis Program will support a "Workshop on Synthetic Chemistry." This workshop has the dual purpose of providing an effective forum for informal discussion among young academic and industrial scientists on current research in topical areas of Chemical Synthesis, and assisting the Program staff in identifying emerging areas and researchers. This process, in turn, will aid the Program in long-range planning. The specific goals of the workshop include: 1) Providing an environment for the dynamic exchange of ideas in organic synthesis, organometallic chemistry, inorganic synthesis, natural products, bio-organic and bio-inorganic chemistry with a synthetic emphasis; 2) Encouraging an attitude of cooperation among individuals working in related areas, and thereby avoiding duplicative efforts; 3) Stimulating participants to study new problems and methods in synthetic chemistry; 4) Improving awareness of potentially valuable applications of new methods and strategies in synthesis; 5) Increasing diversity at high-level meetings; 6) Creating an atmosphere in which the scientific and social interaction among participants will be both stimulating and pleasant; 7) Creating a constructive environment that fosters mentoring relationships among participants.
This Workshop provided an opportunity for leading young faculty in the disciplines of organic and inorganic chemistry to convene for several days of scientific interactions and community building. The workshop provided a low-pressure environment in which participants presented their research in a 'chalk-talk' fashion. Presentations were thus informal, and extensive discussions were held throughout. Talks were in the morning and evening, with largely free afternoons for informal discussions and mentoring opportunities. Most participants were pre-tenure, although a few had already received their tenure decisions. The workshop provided the opportunity for participants to foster strong ties with their contemporaries, to meet David Berkowitz of the NSF and to learn about the NSF. Intellectual Merit: The major conclusion of the workshop was the overwhelming sentiment that it was worthwhile, and that the integration of the organic and inorganic chemists was a great success. The latest scientific priorities in the discipline were on display, and excellent feedback was also apparent such that the science of the individual projects will move forward more rapidly. The workshop provided an atmosphere and environment for the young faculty to exhchange ideas and receive feedback on their projects. Broader Impacts: Informal mentoring provided by the organizers was also well-received. This more or less annual workshop has become an institution. It is common place for literally hundreds of faculty in the United States to reflect on this event as one of the formative events in their faculty careers. The breadth of the workshop expanded significantly this year at the encouragement of the NSF to reflect the newly organized synthesis program's scientific portfolio. The organizers welcomed this advice, and the the new implementation was a smashing success. The integration of organic and inorganic colleagues was very well-received.
