About

With financial support from the National Science Foundation, Ceramics Program, we invite researchers in the ceramics and glass community to participate in a focused professional development workshop designed for emerging leaders in the field. Early career faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and late-stage PhD students are especially encouraged to participate. This two-day event will take place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on October 3-4, 2026, immediately preceding the Materials Science & Technology (MS&T) Conference. 

This workshop is designed for researchers who intend to pursue NSF funding in ceramics and related areas, including the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award Program. Participants will gain insight into the NSF proposal process through lectures from current CAREER and early-career standard grant awardees, panel discussions with speakers from a blend of experience levels and research areas, and break-out discussion sessions. Sessions will highlight current directions in ceramics, glass-ceramics, and inorganic glasses, with an emphasis on advancing predictive capabilities and fundamental understanding; as well as the significance of broader impact expectations unique to the CAREER Program. All participants are encouraged to share their research during the poster session!

The event is free but preregistration is required. The workshop will be limited to 60 registered participants.

A limited number of travel grants are available to early career (assistant professor) faculty and to post-doctoral researchers and PhD students that have advanced to candidacy.

In addition to formal programming, the workshop will foster meaningful connections across the ceramics and glass research communities. Attendees will engage directly with experienced awardees and peers, building networks that support collaboration, mentorship, and long-term career development.

By increasing visibility of NSF resources and strengthening community ties, this workshop aims to equip the next generation of researchers with the knowledge, perspective, and connections needed to successfully contribute to and lead in the evolving landscape of ceramics research and education.

Organizers

The conference has been organized by Professors Melissa Santala (Oregon State University), Ekaterina Pomerantseva (Drexel University), Joel Destino (Creighton University), and Scott McCormack (University of California-Davis). 

Funding

This program is funded by the National Science Foundation Award DMR-2520470.

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.