Conference: Logistic and Participant Support for the National Science Foundation and Science Foundation Ireland's Trans-Atlantic Challenges Workshop

The earth’s grand challenges require new ways of thinking to advance technology for the benefit of our global community. One way is to create diverse research teams that can work together on compelling problems. This Workshop will bring together thought leaders from the United States (U.S.) and Ireland.

Although Ireland is a small country, it punches above its weight as a leader in innovation and research and development, including in agri-food, life sciences, information and communication technology, and advanced manufacturing, among other areas. There are also strong industry connections between the U.S. and Ireland. The workshop will allow participants to examine, explore, and discuss what emerging research areas would most benefit both the U.S. and Ireland.

The U.S. research community stands to benefit from strengthened collaboration pathways with the Irish research and innovation community, and this workshop will help enable this goal.

The integration of knowledge, methods and expertise from across science and engineering is not yet easily accomplished or commonplace. Progress is impeded by serial, unidirectional research approaches, which are typically conducted within rigid localized organizational structures (people, resources, tools, etc.). To address such problems on a global scale, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) are proposing a conference to bring together researchers.

The three-day workshop would be hosted by SFI at their Headquarters in Dublin, Ireland in October of 2024. The objectives of the workshop are to: (1) Identify global challenges that large-scale collaborative research can help solve; and, (2) Identify potential mechanisms/models that would foster Trans-Atlantic interdisciplinary collaboration, leveraging the strengths of the U.S. and Irish research communities and industry partners.

In support of NSF and SFI aims, VentureWell proposes to provide logistical and participant support to up to 20 researchers from the U.S. attending the conference as selected by NSF. The insights generated from this collaborative platform, which brings together academics and researchers, will be instrumental in shaping new approaches and structures for addressing significant problems, requiring convergent research teams.

Participant interactions are expected to lay the foundation for cross-disciplinary centers focused on advancing fundamental knowledge and systems technology while exposing those engaged in the centers to the integrative aspects of technology research and development and industrial practice. The workshop will foster opportunities for networking among a diverse set of participants and spark new international research collaborations.

It will further bring technology-based industry and university experts together to share knowledge and ideas that can help strengthen the competitive position of American industry in the global marketplace. Logistical and participant support, as well as clear documentation of the workshop, are essential to achieving these impacts.

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.