Intellectual Merit: The MEMS community comes together annually at a few high-quality conferences. IEEE MEMS is one of these conferences. Now in its 24th year, it has the reputation to attract the best new results research and the top scientists in the field. For a recent or soon-to-be Ph.D. graduate, it is one of the best opportunities to disseminate one?s work, to network, and to position oneself in the job market. Presenting a paper or poster at IEEE MEMS is a valuable experience; giving a talk to the 700+ attendees in a large lecture hall is a unique event in one?s career. This grant will help maximizing the number of students that can have this experience. Broader Impact: The IEEE MEMS 11 program consists of single-track oral presentations and poster sessions. In addition, group lunches and dinners will provide ample opportunities for attendees to network and socialize. In addition, we are introducing several innovations to the format and organization of IEEE MEMS that are intended to strengthen its impact. The support for this conference will enable and enhance graduate student participation.
. This NSF grant of $15,000 supported travel of 36 US students, including 8 women, to this conference. Total attendance was 579, including 234 students from all over the world. All supported students were authors and presenters of conference papers. The acceptance rate for this conference was below 40%, maintaining the status of a highly competitive conference. The supported students were able to present their work to a large audience either in a single-session talk or in a poster session. The NSF support enabled more students to attend the conference. 2011 was a year of tight budgets from all funding agencies and this NSF travel grant made it easier for PIs to bring along their students to the conference. For the first time when IEEE MEMS was held in the Americas, it was held not inside the US. The conference organizers intentionally chose a location in Mexico to open up the conference for more diversity. A special poster session for attendees from Latin America and the Carribean attracted about 10 hispanic conference presenters. All 36 students have cashed their checks and before closing, $15.84 remained in the budget, which has been returned to NSF. The Transducers Research Foundation generously provided additional funds that supported an 36 North American students, including 8 students from Canada who could not be supported by NSF.
