2024 Solid State Chemistry Gordon Research Conference and Gordon Research Seminar

Non-Technical Summary

The 2024 Solid State Chemistry Gordon Research Conference (GRC) and Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) are supported in part by the NSF Division of Materials Research (Solid State and Materials Chemistry Program). They take place at Colby-Sawyer College in New London, NH, with the GRC (July 21-26, 2024) featuring discussion of cutting-edge research from the best scientists worldwide at all stages of career, and the associated GRS (July 20-21, 2024) directed to training younger scientists to present their research.

The topics discussed under the scientific theme of "Diverse Approaches to Functional Materials: Synthesis, Characterization, and Data-Driven Discoveries" are important for fulfilling NSF's missions to promote the progress of science (e.g., to discover better materials by gaining a deeper understanding of how their properties are controlled by their structure); to advance national health, prosperity, and welfare (e.g., to solve critical problems in energy and sustainability); and to secure the national defense (e.g., to develop robust systems for energy self-sufficiency). To address these challenges, the unique format of these meetings promotes unencumbered exchange of unpublished research results and exploration of new ideas through diverse viewpoints from scientists in academia, industry, and government laboratories.

The relatively remote location of these meetings ensures that participants are free from distractions and promotes informal interactions between early career and more experienced researchers to help grow the scientific community. In the GRS, graduate students and postdocs learn from peer mentors to present research ideas in a professional setting, acquire confidence, develop leadership skills, and consider potential career paths.

The programs for these meetings reflect a strong commitment to diversity initiatives, ensuring that participants from traditionally underrepresented groups are given opportunities to present their research, that they receive registration and travel support, and that those with special needs are appropriately accommodated. An open forum called the "Power Hour" is scheduled within the GRC to promote discussion about challenges in diversity and inclusion in the scientific community.

Technical Summary

Solid state chemistry focuses on the synthesis, structure, properties, and applications of materials with extended structures. It contributes to significant advances in fundamental scientific knowledge, through initiatives connected with NSF's "Big Ideas," including Quantum Leap (e.g., quantum and magnetic materials, superconductors), Harnessing the Data Revolution (e.g., high-throughput materials discovery through machine learning), and Mid-scale Research Infrastructure (e.g., in situ and in operando characterization).

It makes broad impacts to confront critical problems in energy, sustainability, and societal needs, including batteries, solar cells, lasers, magnets, light-emitting diodes, hard materials, superconductors, and catalysts. The fundamental goal of solid state chemistry is to design better materials with greater control and predictability, by developing relationships connecting composition and structure to the properties and function of materials.

At the Solid State Chemistry GRC and GRS, researchers are invited to share their diverse approaches to solve this problem, by proposing new creative synthetic routes, applying more powerful characterization tools, and developing data-driven methods to discover new materials. Different perspectives are offered from scientists at all stages of career in academic, industrial, and national laboratories.

The scope is expanded to new classes of materials, such as topological solids, high-entropy alloys, hybrid materials, and mixed-anion compounds. To encourage deeper scientific inquiry, the format of both meetings includes ample opportunities for discussion during the oral and poster presentations. The “no publication” policy fosters open communication and many networking activities provide opportunities to initiate collaborations, promote learning, and maximize use of shared infrastructure.

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.