Student and Early Career Travel to ICC3 - The 3rd International Congress on Ceramics November 14 - 18, 2010 Osaka, Japan

NON-TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: The 3rd International Congress on Ceramics (ICC3) is the latest in the biennial meetings designed by the International Ceramics Federation to facilitate worldwide discussion and planning about major trends and opportunities for ceramic and glass industries. The first Congress in 2006 provided a historic technological roadmap for ceramics. ICC2 augmented this outlook with a more European-centric perspective. ICC3, to be held November 11-14, 2010 in Osaka, will supplement previous roadmaps with an Asian-centric focus. This project supports travel and local expenses for approximately ten graduate students, post-doctoral associates and early career faculty to attend and participate in ICC3 and to participate in a two-day tour of Japanese ceramic companies and cultural events directly following the meeting.

TECHNICAL DETAILS: The ICC3 program and these travel funds will be used to highlight and encourage diversity and broad perspectives in the ceramics community. First and foremost, this travel opportunity will be widely advertised to encourage broad and diverse participation. Along these lines, the Japan Society of Ceramics has agreed to post a web page on the meeting web site (http://www.ceramic.or.jp/icc3/) featuring the invited women speakers. To promote longer-term impact, candidates who can extend their stay while in Japan to study or do research at Japanese universities and institutes will have top priority in securing support. The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) will work with the organizers of ICC3 and the PI to introduce the travel fellows to the opportunities available for short- and long-term JSPS fellowships. An NSF Travel Fellows reception and meeting will be held Sunday afternoon, Nov 14, before the ICC3 meeting officially opens that evening. The reception will feature speakers who will describe how they have addressed family-work issues, career development, and career networking. During the reception, a sub-program will be distributed that features the time and location of the invited women speakers and the presentations and posters of the NSF travel fellows. Finally, the meeting and industry tour will result in first-hand exposure to research approaches, facilities and perspectives that American students do not normally experience in the course of their graduate education. Specifically, the tour will enable a comparison of Japanese industrial practices with U.S. industry.