2005 Polymer West Gordon Research Conference, Ventura, CA, January 9-14, 2005

聚合物（西）戈登研究会议（GRC）旨在补充现有的旅费支持资金，以加强博士后和高级研究生参加2005年1月9日至14日在加州文图拉举行的会议。这笔经费为4 000美元，用于支助名义上每人500美元的8套补充旅行套餐。如果青年教师不能证明有其他资金来源支持他们参加会议，他们提出的资金申请也将被考虑。这些资金将用于支付参加会议的旅费（经济舱机票、从洛杉矶国际机场到会议的公共汽车费）和GRC注册费，其中包括所有住房费用和膳食费用。在Polymers (West) GRC的特邀演讲者是在各自的聚合物化学，物理和工程领域的国际知名，世界级的专家。邀请这些杰出的权威专家作为演讲者和讨论领袖参加会议，对于确保GRC取得圆满成功至关重要。另一个被视为衡量GRC成功的重要标准是年轻研究人员的出席和积极参与。对于我们中的许多人，包括本次会议的主席和联合主席，早期参加GRC的职业生涯提供了科学刺激，发展了专业关系，并与其他科学家合作，这对我们的专业发展非常重要。我们提出这一要求的动机是为了让尽可能多的年轻聚合物科学家有机会在明年1月在文图拉体验他们的第一次GRC。由于GRC提供的支持年轻参与者的资金有限，NSF的资金对于实现这一目标至关重要。该提案的技术优点是促进了年轻聚合物科学家在戈登研究会议上的参与，该会议讨论了聚合物科学和工程前沿的几个关键领域。更广泛的影响在于培养和发展聚合物领域的未来领导者，并着眼于增强多样性。

The Polymers (West) Gordon Research Conference (GRC) seeks to supplement the available funds for travel support to enhance participation of post doctoral and senior graduate students at this meeting in Ventura, California, January 9-14, 2005. This request is for $4,000 for supporting 8 supplemental travel packages at nominally $500/person. Funding request by junior faculty will also be considered provided they can demonstrate no other source of support for travel to the conference. These funds will be used to cover costs associated with travel to the conference (economy air fare, bus fare to the conference from LAX) and the GRC registration fees, which cover all housing costs and meals.The invited speakers at the Polymers (West) GRC are internationally known, world class experts in their respective areas of polymer chemistry, physics and engineering. Having such distinguished leading experts participate as speakers and discussion leaders is critical to assuring that the GRC is highly successful. Another criterion that is viewed as an important measure of the success of a GRC is attendance and active participation of young researchers. For many of us, including the Chair and Co-Chair of this conference, early career attendance at GRC's provided scientific stimulation, development of professional relationships, and collaborations with other scientists that have been important in our professional development. Our motivation for the present request is to give as many young polymer scientist as possible the opportunity to experience their first GRC in Ventura next January. Due to the limited funding for support of young participants provided by the GRC, NSF funding is critical to achieving this goal.The technical merit of this proposal is to facilitate enhanced participation of young polymer scientists in a Gordon Research Conference that addresses several key areas at the frontiers of polymer science and engineering. The broader impact lies in the cultivation and development of tomorrow's leaders in the polymer field, with an eye toward enhanced diversity.