Support for Student Participation in the 2025 Modeling, Estimation, and Control Conference (MECC 2025); Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; 5-8 October 2025

This grant provides funding to support student participation in the 2025 Modeling, Estimation, and Control Conference (MECC 2025), which will be held 5-8 October 2025, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. MECC is a premier conference held annually and aims to serve the scientific and engineering communities in the cross-disciplinary areas of modeling, estimation, and control of dynamical systems. It will provide a platform for the dissemination and discussion of the state-of-the-art in dynamics and controls research and create opportunities for networking with colleagues in relevant fields. The conference features contributor sessions, invited sessions, workshops, special sessions, plenary talks, keynote speeches, student and young professional programs, industry programs, and conference awards ceremonies. Funding will empower undergraduate students with high academic potential in their early stages of research development by providing them opportunities to attend the conference and have direct conversation with researchers at the forefront of dynamical systems and control. Such early engagement is expected to help build a pipeline for future rising stars in dynamical systems and control research. The grant will also support educational activities for high school students by introducing them to the field of dynamical systems, controls, and robotics. Ultimately, this grant will help significantly expand the horizon and impact of MECC 2025 to both scientific communities and society at large. Student participation support focuses on reaching out to a much-broadened student body, enabling high school, undergraduate, and early-stage graduate students with high academic potential to observe first-hand outcomes from state-of-the-art research and to develop professional networks with researchers at the forefront of their fields. Multiple events and activities will be developed as part of this grant, including: i) Outreach activities in systems, controls, and robotics offered to high school students, through collaboration with industries partners in control systems and robotics; ii) Professional networking lunches and panel sessions, where participants will be coached on building professional networks and identifying pathways for pursuing either academic or industry careers; and iii) Special poster sessions where students can present their research interests and receive personalized advice and feedback, helping them to shape their research path and enhance their technical and professional development. Participant support is expected to enhance students’ scientific, technical, and professional development. Broadening access will have a huge impact on the future development of dynamics and control community and building a positive culture for future control conferences in reaching out to a broader audience and in better connecting education, research, and technology development. 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.