2008 Tribology Gordon Research Conference

该奖项将为2008年7月6日至11日在美国缅因州科尔比学院举行的“摩擦学：推进界面科学与工程”戈登会议的与会者提供部分支持。摩擦学是研究摩擦、磨损和润滑的学科。这是一个极其复杂和多学科的领域，涉及到各种规模和时间尺度的过程。两年一次的戈登摩擦学研究会议是一个独特的论坛，聚集了不同领域的专家，以促进我们对摩擦学提出的复杂问题的理解。来自大学、国家实验室和工业界的顶尖科学家和工程师与年轻科学家和摩擦学新手会面，为期一周，就最新技术问题进行正式和非正式的讨论。这种活跃而开放的新思想交流的机会塑造了该领域的未来。摩擦学中一些最困难和最引人注目的挑战涉及表面相互滑动的埋藏界面的性质。2008年戈登会议将强调揭示这些界面的物理、力学和化学的基本新方法。摩擦学对我们的生活质量、健康、财富和生计的各个方面都有至关重要的影响。控制摩擦和磨损可以抑制或促进从有色金属发动机到人体假体，从微型机械到纳米技术设备的技术进步。2008年戈登会议将强调埋藏界面的现象。对这些界面的新的基本理解将对许多行业的摩擦学应用产生深远的影响。戈登会议是将基础科学与对美国和世界经济具有重要意义的工程学科联系起来的关键机制。摩擦学的进步需要这些研究人员和学科之间不断地交流新思想。会议还为年轻的研究人员、学生和那些刚接触摩擦学的人提供了向那些对摩擦学问题和前沿方法有深刻理解的人学习的机会。该提案的重点是为会议费用和/或旅费提供支持，使主要参与者能够参加戈登会议。我们将努力实现性别平衡，并对申请的少数民族或残疾人给予照顾。这笔拨款的支持将在允许学生、博士后研究员和初级教师出勤方面发挥特别重要的作用，否则他们将没有资金。

This award will provide partial support for attendees of the 2008 Gordon Conference on Tribology: Advancing Interfacial Science & Engineering to be held 6-11 July 2008, Colby College, Maine, USA. Tribology is the study of friction, wear & lubrication. It is an extremely complex and multi-disciplinary field that involves processes over a wide range of size and time scales. The biennial Gordon Research Conference on Tribology is a unique forum for gathering experts in disparate fields to advance our understanding of the complex problems tribology presents. Leading scientists and engineers from universities, national laboratories and industry meet with young scientists and newcomers to tribology for one week of formal and informal discussions on state-of-the art issues. This opportunity for a lively and open exchange of new ideas shapes the future of the field. Some of the most difficult and compelling challenges in tribology concern the nature of the buried interface where surfaces slide past each other. The 2008 Gordon Conference will emphasize fundamental new approaches for revealing the physics, mechanics and chemistry of these interfaces. Tribology has a critical impact on all aspects of our quality of life, health, wealth and livelihood. Controlling friction and wear can either inhibit or enable technological advances from non-ferrous engines to body prostheses and from micromachines to nanotechnological devices. The 2008 Gordon Conference will emphasize phenomena at buried interfaces. New fundamental understanding of these interfaces will have a profound impact on tribological applications in many industries. The Gordon Conference is a key mechanism for linking the basic sciences with an engineering discipline of significant importance to the U.S. and World economies. Tribology advances require a constant flux of new ideas between these researchers and disciplines. The conference also provides opportunities for young investigators, students and those new to tribology to learn from those with a deep understanding of tribological problems and cutting edge approaches. This proposal focuses on providing support for conference fees and/or travel expenses that will enable key participants to attend the Gordon Conference. We will strive for gender balance and also favor under-represented ethnic minority or disabled individuals that apply. Support from this grant will play a particularly important role in allowing attendance of students, postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty that would otherwise not have funds.