Group Travel Support for the International Conference on Smart Materials and Nanotechnology; Harbin, China July 1-4, 2007

近年来，随着纳米力学和纳米技术的发展，新一代智能材料、传感器和器件正在开发中。为了促进这一重要竞技场的国际合作，该奖项的目的是 为一批美国研究人员和教育工作者提供旅费支持，以参加将于2007年7月1日至4日在中国哈尔滨举行的智能材料和纳米技术国际会议（SMN 2007）。SMN 2007包括与智能材料和纳米技术有关的不同主题的会议，如形状记忆合金和聚合物，电活性聚合物，压电材料、电磁约束材料、光纤传感器等，邀请和投稿的论文将在会议论文集中发表。 经过同行审查后，选定的论文将作为特刊在一份国际期刊上发表。 因此，该提案可以促进国际合作，并通过传播新发现和整合世界上活跃的研究人员和教育工作者之间的不同团队努力，为与力学，材料和传感器相关的纳米科学和工程的进步做出直接贡献。 SMN2007的一个直接结果是，世界上的机构、研究人员和基础设施可以被确定为具有推进纳米科学和工程的能力。 特别努力邀请来自科学和工程领域代表性不足的群体的发言者。 因此，研究旅行支助将对制定互惠互利、整个社区都能利用的互补办法产生国际影响。

With the advancement in nanomechanics and nanotechnology, a new generation of smart materials, sensors and devices are being developed in the recent years. To promote the international collaboration in this important arena, the objective of this award is to provide the travel support for a group of US researchers and educators to participate in the International Conference on Smart Materials and Nanotechnology (SMN2007), which will be held in Harbin, China, during 1st - 4th July, 2007.SMN2007 consists of sessions in different topics related to smart materials and nanotechnology, such as shape-memory alloys and polymer, electro-active polymer, piezo-materials, electro and magneto restrictive materials, fiber optic sensors, and so on. Both invited and contributed papers will be published in the conference proceedings. Selected papers will be published as a special volume in an international journal after a peer-review process. Hence, the proposal could promote the international collaboration and make an immediate contribution to the progress of nano science and engineering related to mechanics, materials and sensors by disseminating the new findings and integrating different team efforts among active researchers and educators in the world. A direct outcome from SMN2007 is that institutions, researchers and infrastructure in the world could be identified with capabilities to advancing nano science and engineering. A special effort is made to invite speakers from the groups underrepresented in science and engineering. Thus, the research travel support would have an international impact on developing complementary approaches that are mutually beneficial, and accessible to the whole community.