Conference: 3rd US - Africa Conference Nanotechnology Convergence for Sustainable Energy, Environment, Climate Change and Health

Following the success of the first and second US-Africa conferences, which were in-person 2019 and virtual 2022, convening a third US-North Africa conference in-person in Egypt 2023 will result in solidifying established connections. This conference will further stimulate international collaboration, and contribute to advancing US-STEM science, Technology, Engineering, and Math graduate education, training, and research.

The overarching goal of this conference is to bring scientists and engineers including undergraduate, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and faculty together from the United States and North Africa countries to encourage future collaborations through this conference focused on nanotechnology convergence for sustainable energy, environment, climate change and health. During the conference, state-of-the-art research, recent achievements, and global trends in nanotechnology will be presented to promote cross-disciplinary interactions that can spur the development of this exciting research field.

The conference will stimulate engaged group discussions among diverse participants including students, postdocs, and early career faculty to create new ideas that serve applications in energy, health, and environment in both countries. This will include convergence of researchers from many countries in North Africa including Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Angola, Ghana, and others who will meet and build collaboration channels with researchers and scientists from USA.

The conference will be held on August 6-11, 2023, in Cairo, Egypt. The hotel venue will be determined in the next few months; the first suggestions include Grand Nile Tower Hotel, or, Tolip Algalaa Hotel, or, Hotel of Electronic research center, Cairo, Egypt

This US-North Africa conference will stimulate and encourage international research collaborations which will advance science and promote diversity. This will be achieved by the increase in diversity, equity, and inclusion, generated by fostering these connections, which will subsequently improve STEM fields. A significant number of US- students, young and senior scientists including those from under-represented groups in STEM will be supported to participate in this conference.

This will include researchers from many countries in North Africa including Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Angola, Ghana, and others who will meet and build collaboration channels with researchers and scientists from USA. The conference will be held on August 6-11, 2023, in Cairo, Egypt. The conference will stimulate engaged group discussions with diverse participants including students, postdocs, and early career faculty to create innovative ideas that serve applications in energy, health, and the environment.

The conference will encourage communication and dialogue between North African and US researchers which can address complex and critical challenges facing our society. To address research convergence, the PIs will invite researchers from different fields within nano, including theoretical and modeling, education, societal impacts, economic analyses, applications, sustainability, and others, to participate in the Scientific Organizing Committee.

Members of this committee will be tasked with recruiting attendees through their societies and networks. The PIs’ instructive approach will immerse young scientists in a learning intensive environment with established investigators. The conference will advance research via international increasing collaborations with diverse and interdisciplinary collaborators.

The conference will provide new ideas to improve and revolutionize many technology and industry sectors in USA such as quantum information technology, nanomedicine for cancer therapy and diagnosis, energy harvesting, climate change and environmental science. The agenda of the conference will include opening talks followed by keynote presentations and breakout sessions for energy, health, climate change and environment.

Students will present their current research in poster sessions as well as short talks. There will be daily open discussions among attendees through short group meetings that includes students, postdocs, and keynote speakers. The PIs anticipate a successful conference which will contribute to the advancement of convergence research and education in the USA and African countries using nanotechnology as a convergence platform and a transdisciplinary perspective that integrates fundamental science, engineering, and medical applications to address global challenges in sustainable energy, environment, and health.

The event is also expected to serve as a catalyst to facilitate research collaborations and broader networking among participants and their home institutions

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.