Participant Support for 2026 Additive Manufacturing of Soft Materials GRC; Manchester, New Hampshire; 18-26 July 2026

This grant provides funding for students, postdoctoral researchers, and early career investigators to attend the Additive Manufacturing of Soft Materials Gordon Research Conference. The Additive Manufacturing of Soft Materials Gordon Research Conference (GRC) is a premier, international meeting dedicated to advancing the frontiers of science through the presentation of cutting-edge, unpublished research. The conference is intentionally structured to maximize scientific exchange and community building: invited talks emphasize forward-looking discoveries, extended discussion periods follow each presentation, and poster sessions highlight contributions from researchers at all career stages. The GRC uniquely cultivates scientific camaraderie, deep collaboration, and the formation of new research networks. Soft material additive manufacturing sits at the intersection of chemistry, physics, engineering, computation, and design. As the field accelerates toward programmable, multi-material, autonomous, and sustainability-centric manufacturing technologies, the need for interdisciplinary communities becomes increasingly urgent. Building on the success and momentum of prior GRCs in this area, the upcoming conference expands participation through the integrated Gordon Research Seminar, providing a dedicated platform for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers to present research, network, and engage with leading scientists. The organizational team is highly qualified and committed to creating an inclusive, intellectually rigorous environment that broadens participation and stimulates transformative ideas across the AM ecosystem. This conference is specifically designed to (1) broaden participation across career stages, institutional types, disciplines, and demographics; (2) provide structured and informal mentorship opportunities; and (3) accelerate interdisciplinary problem-solving.

Next-generation additive manufacturing of soft materials requires an unprecedented degree of convergence. Progress depends on simultaneously understanding and controlling chemical reactivity, rheological behavior, and spatiotemporal processing—an integrated “molecules-to-manufacturing” framework. These foundational challenges directly influence print fidelity, resolution, speed, sustainability, and multi-functional performance of printed structures. The conference will gather world experts and rising leaders spanning polymer and materials chemistry, photopolymer science, rheology, computational modeling, digital design, machine learning, robotics, advanced instrumentation, bioinspired materials, and hybrid manufacturing. Talks will explore emerging directions including adaptive and stimuli-responsive materials, real-time process monitoring, autonomous closed-loop printing, multiscale simulation and characterization, multi-material and multi-modal fabrication, and sustainable life-cycle design. The Gordon Research Conference provides fertile ground for cultivating scientific communities and the future workforce. The Gordon Research Symposium introduces junior scientists to the conference format and offers leadership opportunities, professional development, and peer networking, strengthening the long-term vitality of the community. Poster sessions and open discussions invite contributions from all attendees, ensuring a robust exchange of ideas and exposure to advanced methodologies and emerging challenges in the field. The resulting collaborations and new partnerships—spanning academia, national laboratories, startups, and industry—are expected to drive innovation, support technology translation, and accelerate the emergence of sustainable additive manufacturing practices with societal benefits in environmental stewardship, human health, and national competitiveness.

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.

Award Number: 2618799
Principal Investigator: Alshakim Nelson
Funds Obligated: $10,000
State: RI