Support of Student Participation in the 2019 Meeting of the North American Membrane Society (NAMS)

This award will provide partial travel support for 24 U.S.-based undergraduate and graduate students to attend the 2019 Meeting of the North American Membrane Society (NAMS) in Pittsburgh, PA on May 11-15, 2019. NAMS is a premier membrane conference, providing outstanding technical sessions across the full breadth of topics within membrane science and technology. The theme of the 2019 meeting is 'Membrane Separations for Emerging Water, Energy, and Health Applications,' which aligns with several Grand Challenges recently identified by the National Academy of Engineering. The meeting has a rich history of engaging graduate student researchers directly through targeted programs and award opportunities. The goal of this project is to extend these opportunities to undergraduate students interested in membrane science and technology but who are not yet committed to pursuing the field as a career. The targeted undergraduate mentoring program will ensure the students take full advantage of the technical, social, and networking opportunities available to them at NAMS 2019. Early engagement in a professional society/conference will provide students with motivation and encouragement to pursue advanced degrees in their respective fields and, subsequently, develop a healthy and diverse workforce.

The NAMS organizing committee is comprised of diverse North American researchers, and invited speakers from academia, industry, and government labs feature prominently in the program. The meeting will feature five technical workshops, over 30 technical sessions, daily plenary sessions, a poster session, and abundant unstructured discussion periods to catalyze new collaborative relationships and research ideas. The 2019 NAMS meeting will cover the following topics: (1) membrane materials - chemistry and characterization; (2) membrane processes - fundamentals and improvements; and (3) membrane applications - water treatment, energy, and biological/food. Historically, hundreds of graduate students participate in the NAMS meeting and engage in unique professional development and training opportunities. This travel supplement will extend these opportunities to undergraduate students through a targeted mentoring program. Undergraduate students will be paired with senior graduate student mentors who will serve as meeting guides. Throughout the meeting, the students will engage in immersive professional and technical development opportunities tailored to their needs. The program's effectiveness will be assessed through surveys and observation of student outcomes. It is anticipated that the award of travel subsidies will attract diverse young scientists in the field and enhance the membrane science and technology workforce.

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.