Intellectual Merit: This proposal requests funds to pay costs for students, post-doctorates, assistant professors, and other early-career scientists to attend the June, 2010, Pan American Current Research on Fluid Inclusions conference (PACROFI). This conference focuses on fluid inclusion research that aims to elucidate magmatic hydrothermal processes associated with ore deposit formation, volcanic hazard mitigation and element recycling in subduction zones. This research provides the most direct opportunity to determine compositions of ancient geologic fluids, as well as pressure, temperature and chemical conditions attending their formation. The PACROFI meetings provide an important forum for exchange of scientific results and ideas, and communication between established and early-career scientists in this reseach area. The attendance of early-career scientists is considered essential, because they bring innovative ideas to the science, and because they will lead future research in this field.
Broader Impacts: The requested funds will offset participation costs for some 25 student attendees, as well as partial support for 10 early-career scientists. Financial support for these individuals is necessary as many lack the resources to attend otherwise. The $21,350 requested will cover registration, housing and travel for the student attendees, and registration and housing for 10 early-career scientists (approximately 33% and 8%, respectively, of the total attendees). This support may make a significant difference in the make-up of attendees at the meeting and it will have an important and positive impact on the younger generation of inclusion researchers.
This award deferred costs for student and early-career scientists to participate in the tenth Pan-American Current Research on Fluid Inclusions (PACROFI) conference on the campus of the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) in June, 2010. The meeting brought together about 100 international scientists, faculty and students from academia, industry, and government entities who presented fluid and melt inclusion research. The week-long conference featured oral and poster presentations that focused on the use of fluid and/or melt inclusions to unravel the evolution of geologic systems ranging from copper and gold deposits to atmospheric greenhouse gas fluctuations to petroleum systems. Thirty students and five early-career scientists, who presented their research via oral and/or poster presentations, benefitted from grant funding for registration and/or travel costs. The conference provided students and early-career scientists with opportunities to interact with leading scientists in the fluid/melt inclusion community, to receive feedback on their research, and to learn about future research and education opportunities. The conference had the following theme sessions: "melt inclusions: applications to understanding igneous systems"; "LA-ICP-MS and crystal genesis"; "ore deposits"; "salt and gas analysis: understanding origins and controls"; and, "experimental constraints on fluid evolution". During a business meeting held at the end of the conference, participants selected the University of Windsor, Canada, as the host of the 2012 PACROFI meeting.
