Workshop: Seventh Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization Conference November 8-10, 2018 in Alexandria

纳米技术正在提高材料的性能或增加新特性，这些材料用于农业、医药、能源、消费品、环境技术、汽车产品，甚至电影工业等不同领域。可持续纳米技术试图确保新的工业操作和产品在环境、社会和经济方面是可持续的。由于使用大量不可再生的原料和能源，以及产生对人类和环境有潜在毒性的副产品，目前大多数纳米技术应用的情况是不可持续的。第七届可持续纳米技术会议将把院士、研究人员、政府工作人员、决策者和工业雇员聚集在一起，讨论和更好地理解发展可持续纳米技术的最佳实践和方法。预计将有广泛的专家，包括材料科学家、工业合作伙伴、学生、政府官员、社会和物理科学家、毒理学家和工程师参加这次会议。申请的资金将支持大约20名研究生的旅行费用，其中包括女性、少数民族和来自代表性不足群体的学生，他们将从事可持续纳米技术的工作。因此，会议将为处于不同职业阶段的年轻科学家提供交流和教育机会。此外，资金将用于奖励一名新兴研究者，支持全体会议发言人的旅行，以及一些一般性会议费用。我们期待来自世界各地的与会者参加，并确保一个知识渊博的团体，以促进最新的演讲和鼓舞人心的讨论，并促进与可持续系统相关的纳米技术。本提案请求资金支持将于2018年11月8日至10日在弗吉尼亚州亚历山大市（华盛顿特区）举行的“可持续纳米技术组织”（SNO）第七届年会。这样一个会议的目标是将研究人员聚集在一起，讨论可持续纳米技术领域的最新发现，并形成合作，促进研究中的协同作用。当前的可持续纳米技术试图确保新的工业发展在环境、社会和经济方面是可持续的。这次会议是独一无二的，因为它是唯一一个专注于前沿纳米技术以及它如何与该领域新知识发展中涉及的跨学科可持续性相关的会议。会议的目标是促进关于纳米技术的可持续影响和应用的公开对话。这次关于可持续纳米技术的专门会议将吸引该领域最优秀的人才参加，它将通过在最初的研究中灌输可持续性的重要性，以及在最终产品中灌输可持续性的重要性，从而使纳米技术的发展更加负责任。这次会议将通过确定可持续的研究目标使科学家受益，这些目标将产生必要的信息，使决策者和制造商能够利用积累的数据确定前进的道路。这将导致风险评估和管理战略的改进，并为发达或发展中公司在纳米材料和纳米技术产品的制造方面提供有用的信息，从而提高可持续性。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Nanotechnology is enhancing the performance of or adding new properties to materials used in diverse areas like agriculture, medicine, energy, consumer products, environmental technologies, automotive products, and even the film industry. Sustainable nanotechnology attempts to ensure that novel industrial operations and products are sustainable in terms of their environmental, societal and economic dimensions. The current scenario now for most nanotechnology applications is not sustainable due to the use of large amounts of non-renewable raw materials and energy, as well as the production of by-products potentially toxic for humans and the environment. The 7th Sustainable Nanotechnology Conference will bring together academicians, researchers, governmental workers, policy makers and industrial employees to discuss and gain a better understanding of best practices and approaches to develop sustainable nanotechnology. It is expected that a wide range of experts, including materials scientists, industrial partners, students, government officials, social and physical scientists, toxicologists, and engineers will attend this conference. The funds requested will support travel expenses for about 20 research students including females, minorities, and those from underrepresented groups to work in sustainable nanotechnology. Hence, the conference will provide networking and educational opportunities for young scientists at various career stages. In addition, funding will be used for an award to an emerging investigator, travel support to plenary speakers, and some general conference expenses. We expect that participants from all over the world will attend and ensure a knowledgeable group to facilitate up to date presentations and inspiring discussions and the promotion of nanotechnology related to sustainable systems.This proposal requests funds to support the seventh annual conference of the "Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization" (SNO) to be held from November 8-10, 2018 in Alexandria, Virginia (Washington DC). Such a conference has as its goal the bringing together of researchers in order to discuss the latest findings in the field of sustainable nanotechnology and to form collaborations which promote synergy in the research. Current sustainable nanotechnology attempts to ensure that novel industrial development is sustainable in terms of environmental, societal and economic dimensions. This conference is unique since it is the only one focused toward cutting edge nanotechnology and how it relates to sustainability across disciplines involved in the development of new knowledge in the field. The goal of the conference is to promote open-dialogue on the sustainable implications and applications of nanotechnology. This specialized conference on sustainable nanotechnology, involving the best intellects in this area, will enable a more responsible approach to the development of nanotechnology by instilling the importance of sustainability in the initial research, in addition to the end products. The conference will benefit scientists by identifying sustainable research goals that will yield necessary information to allow policy makers and manufacturers to define a path forward using accumulated data. This will result in improved risk assessment and management strategies and yield helpful information for developed or developing companies in the manufacturing of nanomaterials and nanotechnology products that improve sustainability.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.