About the Forum
Polymer and soft materials play a central role in enabling new solutions for societal challenges in separations, energy storage, critical mineral recovery, and nuclear materials applications. Addressing these opportunities requires close integration of synthesis, advanced characterization, simulation and modeling, and, increasingly, AI/ML automation to accelerate materials discovery and reveal structure-property relationships. The 2026 workshop will bring together researchers in southeast universities and institutes working in isotopes and separation, membranes, critical mineral recovery, nuclear materials applications, AI/ML and automation for polymer research, material characterization and discovery, complexing polymers and metallic polymers, porous materials including POFs, COFs, MOFs, and porous liquids, solid-state electrolytes, and non-equilibrium systems with dynamic bonds etc.. Building on the strong expertise at ORNL and throughout the southeast region, this workshop is intended to foster new collaborations, stimulate interdisciplinary discussion, and create opportunities for innovation in polymer and soft materials research. Furthermore, to strengthen polymer science collaboration beyond southeast region, we are inviting leaders in the field from outside of southeast institutes as keynote speakers.
Please register and submit abstracts by TBD.