Conference: 23rd International Symposium on Boron, Borides and Related Materials (ISBB 2026) 8/30-9/4/2026 in Riverside, CA”

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY The International Symposium on Boron, Borides, and Related Materials (ISBB) is the world’s leading gathering for scientists and engineers working on boron and related substances. The 23rd ISBB takes place August 30 to September 4, 2026, at the University of California, Riverside. The symposium brings together established researchers, early-career scientists, students, and industry experts from many countries to share discoveries about how boron can be used to create exceptionally strong, heat-resistant, and versatile new materials. This event advances the progress of science by fostering new ideas and collaborations that smaller meetings cannot achieve. It supports the national interest by strengthening American leadership in advanced materials research critical to next-generation energy technology, national defense, aerospace, and other key sectors. The symposium includes U.S. students and early-career scientists, thereby helping to train the next generation of STEM researchers. Results from the Symposium are shared widely through a peer-reviewed special issue, ensuring that new knowledge benefits society. By bringing experts together in the United States, ISBB 2026 promotes innovation that enhances national economic prosperity, security, and welfare. TECHNICAL SUMMARY The 23rd International Symposium on Boron, Borides, and Related Materials (ISBB 2026) will be hosted at the University of California, Riverside from August 30 to September 4, 2026. The symposium convenes leading researchers to present and discuss advances in the synthesis, structure–property relationships, and applications of elemental boron, metal borides, borophene and other low-dimensional boron systems, high-entropy borides, and related materials. The program features plenary and invited lectures, contributed talks, and poster sessions covering fundamental aspects of materials science, chemistry and physics as well as applied topics in energy conversion and storage, nuclear materials, hypersonics, and catalysis. Computational modeling and experimental approaches to novel synthesis routes and quantum phenomena in boron-based systems are emphasized. Support from the Solid State and Materials Chemistry program in NSF’s Materials Research Section A enables participation by U.S. students, postdoctoral researchers, and early-career scientists. A peer-reviewed special issue to be published after the Symposium disseminates the scientific outcomes. ISBB 2026 strengthens interdisciplinary collaboration and U.S. leadership in this strategically important area of materials research. 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.