Student Participation in the 2nd Annual Global Nanobiotechnology Consortium Conference (GNCC)

This project provides funding to support costs associated with undergraduate and graduate student registration and/or travel to attend the Global Nanobiotechnology Consortium Annual Conference (GNCC-2) at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida. There is a crucial need to innovate nanotechnology-based methods and approaches for the management of the COVID-19 pandemic and future healthcare crises. These efforts will require a global collaboration and network, and to this end, the Florida Association of Nanotechnology (FAN) created a Global Nanobiotechnology Consortium in 2021 to foster and build this collaboration and research endeavors. The conference aims to address topics in the following areas; nanobiotechnology, nano-diagnostics, biosensing, nanoimaging, and nanoelectronics and their applications throughout medicine, pharmacy, and engineering, with a specific emphasis on the current COVID-19 pandemic. The conference will provide opportunities to network with researchers from other academic institutions worldwide and the broader nanotechnology and nanopharma industry while giving students a platform to present and fine tune professional development skills needed for the next generation of researchers.

The GNCC-2 intends to converge the thinking of nanobiotechnology global leaders to advance innovative solutions for worldwide applications, while remaining student centric. Conference objectives are: 1) promote collaborative and interdisciplinary research and education initiatives in the field of nanotechnology for the next generation of scientists; 2) establish multidisciplinary education and research projects, including novel approaches for translational research; 3) organize presentations by experts in creating international collaborations, start-ups for nanotech business, production scale-up; and 4) provide new insights into nanomedicine applications for nanoscientists, clinicians, and engineers in the areas of drug delivery, diagnostic testing for the pandemic and related diseases. Notably, the GNCC-2 will provide a forum for academic and industrial researchers nationwide and internationally to share their recent discoveries, exchange new ideas, and develop professional relationships that strengthen the state's nanobiotechnology research community and U.S. initiative in remaining the leader of the field. Students will become equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to transform their science communication and professional development by fostering relationships that will aid to STEM education and careers in the future.

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.