Student Support: 2014 Manufacturing Science and Engineering Conference (MSEC) and 42nd North American Manufacturing Research Conference (NAMRC); Ann Arbor, MI; 09-13 June 2014

This grant provides funding for offsetting registration and travel expenses to enable 83 undergraduate and graduate students to attend the 2013 joint conference of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers International Manufacturing Science and Engineering Conference (ASME MSEC) and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers North American Manufacturing Research Conference (SME NAMRC). The attending students will participate in the conference by giving technical papers, participating in a poster session to display their research, and taking part in a design competition. The conference will be held June 9-12, 2014, in Detroit, Michigan, hosted by the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The funding opportunity will be broadly announced, affording students ample notice and time to apply. Applications will be reviewed by committee, and he support provided will cover the student registration fee of $300. If there are not enough accepted applications to award all of the funds, the balance will be awarded to the accepted students in the form of a partial travel reimbursement.

The support will provide 83 selected students with the opportunity to participate in the preeminent manufacturing research conference in the US. Student participation at national manufacturing conferences is crucial to expanding the manufacturing research base in the US. Students obtain unique experiences and interactions with academic and industry researchers, and are motivated by the opportunity to present their own work. Participation at conference also gives them the opportunity to learn about the latest research results in their area, and to explore interest in new areas of manufacturing. Additionally, exposure to research from others helps to instill a good foundational understanding of the scientific method, which will serve them well throughout their careers.