The Multifunctional Materials and Structures GRS provides a unique forum for young doctoral and post-doctoral researchers to present their work, discuss new methods, cutting edge ideas, and pre-published data, as well as to build collaborative relationships with their peers. Experienced mentors and trainee moderators will facilitate active participation in scientific discussion to allow all attendees to be engaged participants rather than spectators.
Recent advances in numerical modeling, machine learning algorithms, and multiscale simulations allow researchers to increasingly predict material behavior, design novel multifunctional materials and structures, and reveal hidden patterns within complex datasets. These computational tools not only enhance our understanding of fundamental microscopic mechanisms, but also accelerate material discovery, and inform experimental efforts targeting specific macroscopic functions. Advanced computational methods are revolutionizing the design of mechanical, thermal, optical, and electrical material properties, bridging these niches to enhance multifunctionality, and expanding the uses of morphing and adaptive structures. However, it remains critical to validate computational predictions against real-world results, and model development inherently relies on robust experimental data. In this seminar we provide a framework that unites researchers across many disciplines to share their experiences developing and applying intelligent computing for material discovery, understanding, multifunctional design, and application. Together, we will define the frontier of multifunctional materials and structures in the emerging context of intelligent computing.
The 2026 GRS invites doctoral and postdoctoral researchers to share their cutting-edge unpublished work in the development, application, and experimentation enabled by computer modelling for multifunctional materials and structures. To foster dialogue surrounding intelligent computing, the seminar will feature peer-led oral presentations and poster sessions that will further provide networking opportunities, generate new ideas for research, and build a community of next-generation researchers who will lead our field into the future.
Application Instructions
The seminar will feature approximately 10 talks and 2 poster sessions. All attendees are expected to actively participate in the GRS, either by giving an oral presentation or presenting a poster. Therefore, all applications must include an abstract.
The seminar chair will select speakers from abstracts submitted by October 19, 2025. Those applicants who are not chosen for talks and those who apply after the deadline to be considered for an oral presentation will be expected to present a poster. In order to participate, you must submit an application by the date indicated in the Application Information section above.
Program Format
Gordon Research Seminars are 2-day meetings which take place on the Saturday and Sunday just prior to the start of the associated GRC. The GRS opens with a 1-hour introductory session on Saturday afternoon, followed by a poster session, dinner and a 2-hour session in the evening. Sunday morning begins with breakfast and is followed by another 2-hour session, a second poster session, and lunch. A final 1-hour session takes place just after lunch, and the associated GRC begins later that evening.
