Support of Active Student Participation in the 2020 Meeting of the North American Membrane Society (NAMS)

该奖项将为200名美国本科生和研究生参加北美膜协会(NAMS)2020年会议提供部分旅行支持，该会议正以创新的在线形式举行。NAMS是首屈一指的膜会议，在膜科学和技术的所有主题中提供出色的技术会议。2020年会议的主题是“新兴的膜材料、工艺和应用”，这与美国国家工程院最近确定的几个重大挑战相一致。该会议有着通过有针对性的项目和奖励机会直接吸引研究生研究人员的丰富历史。该项目的目标是将这些机会扩展到通常因成本或时间限制而无法参加会议的本科生和研究生。此外，它将为学生提供一个平台，让他们与社区领导人接触，尽管持续的大流行带来了限制。特别是，它将影响对膜科学和技术感兴趣但尚未致力于将该领域作为职业的本科生。有针对性的本科生指导计划将确保学生充分利用在NAMS 2020上为他们提供的技术、社交和网络机会。及早参与专业协会/会议将为学生提供动力和鼓励，在各自的领域追求更高的学位，并随后发展一支健康和多样化的劳动力队伍。NAMS组织委员会由不同的北美研究人员组成，来自学术界、行业和政府实验室的特邀演讲者在该项目中占据突出地位。会议将包括五个技术研讨会、30多个技术会议、每日全体会议、海报会议和丰富的非结构化讨论时间，以促进新的合作关系和研究想法。2020年NAMS会议将讨论以下议题：(1)膜材料--化学和表征；(2)膜过程--基本原理和改进；(3)膜应用--水处理、能源和生物/食品。历史上，数以百计的研究生参加NAMS会议，并从事独特的专业发展和培训机会。该奖项将把这种机会扩大到几乎所有参加的美国研究生，并将通过一个导师计划针对本科生的参与。本科生将与资深研究生导师配对，他们将担任会议指南。该计划的有效性将通过对学生结果的调查和观察来评估。预计满足注册补贴的奖励将吸引该领域的不同年轻科学家，并加强膜科学和技术工作。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award will provide partial travel support for 200 U.S.-based undergraduate and graduate students to attend the 2020 Meeting of the North American Membrane Society (NAMS) that is being held in an innovative online format. 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 2020 meeting is "Emerging Membrane Materials, Processes and 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 and graduate students that are typically unable to attend the conference due to cost or time constraints. Additionally, it will provide a platform for students to engage with community leaders, despite the limitations imposed by the ongoing pandemic. In particular, it will impact 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 2020. 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 2020 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 award will extend such opportunities to nearly all the U.S. graduate students in attendance and will target undergraduate student engagement through a mentoring program. Undergraduate students will be paired with senior graduate student mentors who will serve as meeting guides. The program's effectiveness will be assessed through surveys and observation of student outcomes. It is anticipated that the award for meeting registration 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.