Conference: 58th North American Power Symposium NAPS 2026

This NSF project aims to support student participation in the 58th North American Power Symposium (NAPS 2026), to be held at Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Michigan, on October 11–13, 2026. Since 1969, the North American Power Symposium has provided a national forum where students, educators, researchers, industry professionals, utility engineers, and government scientists exchange research advances in electric power and energy systems. NAPS 2026 marks the second time Michigan Technological University has hosted the symposium, following its first hosting in 1985. As the U.S. electric grid evolves to meet growing electricity demand, transportation electrification, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity challenges, and the integration of diverse energy resources, preparing the next generation of engineers is essential to the nation's economic prosperity, energy security, and technological leadership. The NSF support will provide travel assistance for students attending this conference, reducing financial barriers to student participation and helping ensure that attendance is based on academic merit rather than financial circumstances. The intellectual merit of this proposal includes advancing technical exchange, fostering innovation in electric power and energy systems, and preparing students to address emerging challenges in planning, operating, and securing the future electric grid. The broader impacts of the project include strengthening the nation's power and energy workforce, expanding professional development opportunities, promoting collaboration among academia, industry, utilities, technology vendors, and national laboratories, and advancing technologies to build a reliable, resilient, secure, and sustainable electric power infrastructure. The conference will feature peer-reviewed technical presentations, keynote lectures, student poster sessions, professional development activities, and networking opportunities. Three plenary panel discussions will address artificial intelligence and data center load growth, cyber-physical systems security, and energy arbitrage with transportation electrification. Moderated by members of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, the panels will bring together experts from academia, electric utilities, technology vendors, industry, and national laboratories, including numerous IEEE Fellows. Approximately 250 participants are expected, including students, faculty members, utility engineers, industry professionals, and national laboratory researchers. NSF funding will support travel for approximately 50 student presenters selected through peer review, enabling them to present their research, receive expert feedback, build professional networks, and explore career opportunities. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and student engagement, NAPS 2026 will strengthen the nation's power and energy workforce while accelerating research and innovation that supports a secure, reliable, and resilient energy future for the United States. 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.