Sixth Africa Materials Research Society Conference December 2011

TECHNICAL SUMMARY:

The National Science Foundation, Division of Materials Research will provided funds to support the participation of US students and Faculty at the 2011 Africa Materials Research Society Conference. This meeting is comprised of a series of symposia, workshops and short courses. Each symposium will last 1-3 days, with 5-6 parallel sessions running at all times. Most sessions will be quite technical, with international and African leaders in their respective field making extended presentations and students making shorter presentation or presenting posters. The workshops and short courses will be more pedagogical in structure and content than the regular symposia. The topical areas of the conference include:

Energy: Photovoltaics, electrochemistry, fuel cells, catalysis, CO2 abatement

Materials for Life, Health and the Environment: Biomaterials, sustainable materials, polymers, drug delivery, nanomedicine, imaging, sensors

Basic NanoScience: Nanoparticle synthesis and characterization, graphene and carbon nanotubes, condensed matter physics, magnetic, nanoelectronics, optics

Materials Technology: extraction, foundry, processing, metallurgy, alloys, hard materials

Infrastructure Materials: Cement, concrete, clays, transportation materials

Materials Education and Networking: curriculum development, web-based and distance learning, international research and teaching collaborations, schools, networks

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:

The project will provide funds that will enable the participation of US students and faculty at the 2011 Africa Materials Research Society Conference. The conference will:

- Promote excellence in materials research in Africa and between Africa and the US.

- Build a network of US-based materials researchers who are capable of working in multi-national and multi-disciplinary collaborations.

- Promote information and resource sharing, exchanges, and development goals in academic, industrial, and national laboratory settings.

- Demonstrate how materials research contributes significantly to strategies for social equity and poverty alleviation in a constructive and sustainable manner.

- Encourage downstream materials manufacturing and value-adding activities, with a focus on applications in energy, health, construction, transportation, biology, and electronics.

- Strengthen facilities and other resources for materials science education, focusing on the higher education sector.

The US participants will include a significant percentage of women and underrepresented minorities. The support of the NSF Division of Materials Research Office of Special Programs is gratefully acknowledged.