2007 Organic Thin Films Gordon Research Conference

描述（由申请人提供）： 资金寻求组织戈登研究会议“有机薄膜”，重点是聚合物和纳米结构薄膜的生物医学应用。会议将由Nicholas Kotov教授（美国密歇根大学）和Martien Cohen-Stuart教授（荷兰瓦赫宁根大学）组织，于2007年5月27日至6月1日在法国Aussois的Paul Langevin中心举行。近年来，有机和纳米结构薄膜的基础研究和实际应用经历了近指数增长。会议的主要目的是突出薄膜生物医学应用的前沿和该领域杰出研究人员的最新成就。在过去的5年里，任何一次GRC会议都没有完整地讨论过这个主题。会议的议程将包括以下部分：纳米结构生物医学材料（两次会议），先进的生物传感器，细胞与涂层相互作用的前沿，了解生物界面，神经界面工程，组织工程的界面方面和药物输送。这些主题代表了最具活力的基础研究和密集的技术转让活动的领域。这使我们相信，会议将引起学术界、工业界、政府和非营利组织的各种科学家的高度兴趣。NIH申请的资金将用于抵消与会者的会议和/或差旅费，重点是学生、博士后和美国机构最近任命的助理教授。这部分科学家传统上在美国大陆以外的戈登会议上代表不足。会议的组织者坚信，国际经验和与欧洲一流同事互动的能力对他们的职业发展至关重要。它也代表了对这个国家生物医学和生物工程研究未来的明智投资，并最大限度地发挥了NIH基金的影响。为增加演讲者和与会者的多样性，作出了特别规定。拟议的方案大大增加了女科学家的参与，并使GRC会议的种族多样性与前几轮相比发生了重大变化。会议的美国联合主席将与国家和中西部专业少数民族组织以及传统媒体一起宣传会议和可用资金，以鼓励来自代表性不足的群体的年轻科学家参与，这些群体有资格获得NIH的资助。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The funds are sought for the organization of a Gordon Research Conference "Organic Thin Films" with the focus on Biomedical Applications of Polymeric and Nanostructured Films. The conference will be organized by Prof. Nicholas Kotov (University of Michigan, USA) and Prof. Martien Cohen-Stuart (Wageningen University, The Netherlands) and will take place on May 27-June 1, 2007, at the Centre Paul Langevin, Aussois, France. Fundamental studies and practical applications of organic and nanostructured thin films experienced nearly exponential growth in the recent years. The primary objective of the conference is to highlight the frontiers of the biomedical applications of thin films and the most recent achievements of the prominent researchers in the field. This topic was not covered in its entirety by any previous GRC conference within the last 5 years. The agenda of the conference will include the following sections: Nanostructured Biomedical Materials (two sessions), Advanced biosensors, Frontiers of Cell Interactions with Coatings, Understanding Biointerfaces, Engineering of Neural Interface, Interfacial Aspects of Tissue Engineering, and Drug Delivery. These topics represent the areas of most dynamic fundamental research and intense technology transfer activity. This gives us confidence that the conference will be of high interest to a variety of scientists in academia, industry, government, and non-profit organizations. The funds requested from NIH will be used to offset the conference and/or travel expenses of participants with emphasis on students, postdocs, and recently appointed assistant professors from institutions in the USA. This segment of scientists is traditionally underrepresented at Gordon Conferences taking place at locations outside of the continental United States. The organizers of the conference strongly believe that the international experience and the ability to interact with top-notch colleagues from Europe are important for their career development. It also represents a sensible investment in the future of the biomedical and bioengineering research in this country and maximizes the impact of the NIH funds. Special provisions are made to increase diversity of the speakers and attendees. The proposed program drastically increases the participation of women scientists and makes substantial change in the ethnic diversity of GRC Conferences as compared to the previous GRC rounds. The USA co-Chair of the conference will engage national and Midwest professional minority organizations in addition to traditional media outlets in publicizing the conference and available funds to stimulate participation of younger scientists from underrepresented groups eligible for NIH support under this grant.