Support for US Early Career Researchers to Present at 25th International Congress of Theoretical & Applied Mechanics (ICTAM); Virtual; August 22-27, 2021

This grant will support 60 fellowships for US early career researchers presenting papers at the 25th International Congress of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, organized under the auspices of the International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, to be held virtually on August 22-27, 2021. The purpose of this fellowship program is to increase the number of scientists and engineers from U.S. institutions, with an emphasis on graduate students and junior researchers, presenting papers and posters at the aforementioned Congress.

One highlight of this program is a unique mentoring experience in the mechanics field, which brings together early career mechanicians, members of the U.S. National Committee for Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, and other senior U.S. mechanicians with extensive leadership experience. The increased involvement of researchers from the U.S. will strengthen U.S. mechanics research enterprise and help build international collaborations and global networks.

This award is aligned with the mission of the National Science Foundation and promotes the advancement of science, engineering, and mathematics. It also fosters research and development in the field of mechanics, which has an impact in innovation, commercialization, and national security. Furthermore, the project seeks to expand the capacity and capability of U.S. early career researchers and has a strong focus on education, professional development, which benefits the U.S. society at large.

The fellowship program has the following objectives: 1) support early career U.S. mechanicians in sharing their research at the Congress, 2) enhance engagement of a diverse group of early career researchers, 3) provide opportunities for interaction between U.S. early career scientists and leading U.S. and international mechanicians, 4) provide the fellows with a mentoring experience, 5) expose the fellows to new areas of mechanics research, 6) build a network of early career and senior U.S. mechanicians, 7) foster international collaborations between U.S. mechanicians and their international peers, 8) enhance the communication effectiveness of mechanicians broadly, and 9) initiate an ongoing relationship between early career researchers and the U.S. National Committee for Theoretical and Applied Mechanics.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.