Conference: 2026 Colloidal, Macromolecular and Polyelectrolyte Solutions GRC and GRS

Non-Technical Abstract This award will support the registration fees for selected early career participants, specifically graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, to the 2026 Colloidal, Macromolecular, and Polyelectrolyte Solutions Gordon Research Conference (GRC) and Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) to be held at the Four Points Sheraton/Holiday Inn Express in Ventura, California from 1 – 6 February 2026. The GRC and GRS will be relatively small gatherings of scientists from academia, national labs, and industry, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students from multiple disciplines across science and engineering who are interested in the behavior of solutions and dispersions of colloids, macromolecules, and polyelectrolytes. Colloids are small particles, typically less than five microns in diameter; macromolecules are large molecules that are built up of multiple repeating units, including biopolymers such as DNA, actin, and microtubules as well as the polymers found in plastics; and polyelectrolytes are charged polymers. At these meetings, scientists at all levels will share their unpublished work through talks and posters. The rapid communication and collaboration of this format will enable new scientific breakthroughs both in the science of these liquid phase materials and their use in applications in health, medicine, energy, and numerous other diverse material systems. The meeting will provide training opportunities for early career participants, including poster sessions for students to present their work, professional development sessions, and as well and mentoring from senior scientists working in both research- and teaching-focused academic institutions and in industrial and national laboratories. Technical Abstract The scientific objective of the Colloidal, Macromolecular, and Polyelectrolyte Solutions GRC and GRS is to gather scientists and engineers working on all aspects of the behavior of complex solutions and dispersions, including the fundamental science underpinning the self-assembly, dynamics, and transport of colloids, macromolecules, and polyelectrolytes as well as their innovative applications in medicine, health, and energy to address urgent societal challenges. Both meetings will bring together researchers from multiple science (Chemistry, Physics, Polymer Science) and engineering (Biomedical, Chemical, Environmental, Materials, Mechanical) disciplines to accelerate discovery of next-generation materials by sharing new results, fostering discussions, and providing mentoring to participants at all career stages. This award will support the mission of both meetings to educate and mentor the next generation of scientists and engineers working on these complex solutions. The GRS will provide opportunities for students and postdocs to present talks and receive feedback from their peers and from senior mentors. The GRC will promote interactions between early career trainees and senior scientists through informal discussions as well as through the poster session and a new mentoring initiative. 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.