Gordon Research Conference on Multifunctional Materials and Structures: Bridging the Gap between Biological and Synthetic Systems; Ventura, California; 14-19 January 2018

该奖项将为2018年多功能材料和结构戈登研究会议提供资金支持：弥合生物和合成系统之间的差距，该会议将于2018年1月14日至19日在加州文图拉举行。本次会议旨在解决与转化和缩放模型生物功能到合成材料和结构相关的基本科学问题。多功能的潜在社会效益和影响是：通过延长工程部件的使用寿命来实现材料的可持续性和能源资源管理，通过自适应和自我意识系统来实现更安全的系统，通过减少质量和/或体积、能量回收和环境收集来提高能源效率。会议将在演讲者、讨论领袖和与会者（包括年轻和成熟的科学家和工程师）、来自学术界、工业界和政府机构/团体的美国和国际代表以及性别和种族多样性方面寻求广泛的平衡。通过该奖项提供的资金将增加参与该领域下一代科学领袖的初级教师和研究人员的数量。研究人员将解决与翻译和扩展生物/自然系统中多功能科学相关的关键科学问题，以创造具有独特多功能能力和新性能水平的合成材料和结构。会议由这一新兴领域的主要研究人员组织，他们与从事多功能研究的全球科学家和工程师社区有着深厚的联系。会议成果预计将对未来的研究和应用产生广泛的影响，这些研究和应用包括可以减轻和修复结构损伤的自我维持系统、能量收集装置和自适应结构。

This award will provide financial support to the 2018 Gordon Research Conference on Multifunctional Materials and Structures: Bridging the Gap between Biological and Synthetic Systems to be held in Ventura, California, 14-19 January 2018. This conference seeks to address fundamental scientific issues associated with translating and scaling model biological functions to synthetic materials and structures. The potential societal benefits and impact of multifunctionality are: materials sustainability and energy resource management through lifetime extensions of engineered components, safer systems through adaptive and self-aware systems, and improved energy efficiency through mass and/or volume reductions, energy recapture, and ambient harvesting. The conference will seek a broad balance in the speakers, discussion leaders, and attendees including young and established scientists and engineers, U.S. and international representation from academic, industry, and government institutions/groups, and gender and racial diversity. Funding through this award would increase the number of junior faculty and researchers participants to prepare the next generation of scientific leaders in this field.Researchers will address key scientific issues associated with translating and scaling the science of multifunctionality in biological/natural systems for creating synthetic materials and structures with unique multifunctional capabilities and new levels of performance. The conference is being organized by leading researchers in this emerging field with deep ties to the worldwide community of scientists and engineers engaged in multifunctional research. The conference outcomes are expected to have broad impacts on future research and applications in self-sustaining systems that can mitigate and heal structural damage, energy harvesting devices and adaptive structures.