Participant Support for 2024 Gordon Research Conference on Plasma Processing Science (GRC-PPS); Andover, New Hampshire; 21-26 July 2024

This award provides participant support for attendees of the of the 2024 Gordon Research Conference on Plasma Processing Science (GRC-PPS), Andover, New Hampshire; 21-26 July 2024. The conference focuses on new research and development activities in plasma processing science. Students, faculty, and researchers present their latest research results on plasma processing science in oral sessions.

The conference impacts communities such as Plasma Physics, Reaction Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing. Priority is given to participation by students and young researchers, particularly those under-represented in STEM. This approach promotes diverse participation at the conference, in the short term, and in STEM fields, in the long term.

This award benefits the nation through the education of a skilled science and engineering workforce, which is better prepared to provide transformative solutions to the challenges in their chosen fields. This GRC plays an important role in supporting and sustaining the field of plasma science, which has important applications in energy, medicine, microelectronics, and quantum technologies, which are all National priorities.

The Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) associated with this GRC is organized by and specifically targets early career researchers. It provides the opportunity to its participants to expand their professional network and establish new collaborations.

This participant support is expected to benefit the students' and young researchers’ professional, scientific, and technical development. Attendance at the conference gives the students and faculty a broader view of plasma processing science, its fundamentals, and specifically the use of plasmas in electrification of the chemical industry, the non-thermal activation of catalytic processes, and the complex chemistry at the plasma-liquid interface.

At the conference, concepts and challenges in plasma science and engineering, synthesis and manufacturing are presented. The conference is attended by U.S. and international researchers, which provides an opportunity for a variety of perspectives to be presented and discussed. The conference is an opportunity for participants to showcase their scientific accomplishments, interact with peers and colleagues in academia, government laboratories and industry.

Attendees learn about state-of-the-art research in plasma materials, plasma sources, modeling, diagnostics, and analytics, and the use of plasmas in medicine, agriculture, renewable energy, information technology and manufacturing. Students and young faculty enhance their communication skills through oral and poster presentations and in-depth discussions of their work with peers in their technical areas.

This interactive experience significantly broadens student education, increases their enthusiasm for their research topic, acquaints them with expectations for scientific careers, and exposes them to new approaches for innovative research.

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.