Conference: 2011 Environmental Nanotechnology Gordon Research Conference, Valley Resort, NH, May 29 to June 3, 2011

Intellectual Merit: The inaugural Gordon Research Conference on Environmental Nanotechnology (http://www.grc.org/programs.aspx?year=2011&program=environano ) will be held at the Waterville Valley Resort, NH from May 29 to June 3, 2011. To date, the potential impacts of nanomaterials on human health and the environment have been limited due to insufficient understanding of the risks associated with its development, manipulation and wide-ranging applications. Emerging scientific findings indicate that nanoscale particles, whether they are ultrafine, engineered, intentional, or incidental particles, pose challenges for physical, chemical and biological characterization. The overarching goal of this conference is to bring together academic, industrial, and government scientists from around the world to present and discuss current research findings on the fate, transport and impact of nanotechnology and engineered nanomaterials on human health, the environment, and society. The planned GRC program includes the wide range of research areas that impact this field, from the synthesis, characterization, and exposure, through toxicology, metrology, and risk assessment, to the transport, transformation and ultimate fate of these materials in biological and environmental matrices. Formal and informal discussions will highlight future directions. It is anticipated that 180 physical and social scientists, engineers, and toxicologists, will participate in the presentations and discussions surrounding recent research results. The conference will foster new collaboration that will provide a better understanding of the challenges associated with the environmental and biological fate, transport, persistence, transformation, exposure assessment, recyclability, and the overall sustainability of engineered nanomaterials.

Broader Impacts: The Gordon Research Conferences provide an international forum for the presentation and discussion of frontier research in the biological, chemical, and physical sciences, and their related technologies, and for over 75 years, have been viewed as the world?s premier scientific meetings. The 2011 Gordon Research Conference on Environmental Nanotechnology will draw attention to the need to proactively manage the emergence of nanotechnology into society so as to avert such problems that arose with previous technologies and compounds such as those involving DDT, leaded gasoline, PCBs, CFCs. It is anticipated that 180 physical and social scientists, engineers, and toxicologists, will participate in the presentations and discussions surrounding recent research results. The relatively small group of participants will be ideal to promote vigorous discussion and close interchange of ideas that are the hallmark of the Gordon Research Conferences. The conference will attract between 25-35 participants who are junior scholars (doctoral and postdoctoral students).Thus the conference will provide networking opportunities for scientists at different career stages. The weeklong schedule and emphasis on discussion time foster interactions between young investigators and more established researchers. There are few if any similar conferences in the broad topic of Environmental Nanotechnology, enhancing the importance of this event to new investigators. In addition, several scientists from underrepresented groups in science will play key roles in the conference. Participants of the Environmental Nanotechnology Research Conference will come from not only the US but around the globe, ensuring a diverse and expert group to facilitate stimulating discussions.