The Water and Aqueous Solutions 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.
Water surrounds us, sustains us, flows through us, and drives much of the chemistry that makes life possible. It covers approximately 71% percent of Earth’s surface and makes up around 60% of the human body, meaning water plays an unparalleled role in both the world and ourselves. For centuries, scientists have sought to characterize water through experimentation, computational modeling, and theoretical studies. Over 70 anomalous properties, including water’s high heat capacity, why solid water (ice) floats on liquid water, and complex hydrogen bonding networks, have been discovered so far. However, the study of water is rife with mysteries, as many of water’s behaviors are not fully understood. For example, the role water plays in protein assembly and folding, the unusual dynamics at interfaces, and water’s response to extreme pressure, temperature, and confinement are all open questions being explored. Investigating these processes will shed light on topics ranging from microscopic interactions that govern solvation to macroscopic phenomena that shape biology, climate change, and energy production.
At the 28th Gordon Research Seminar on Water & Aqueous Solutions, we are emphasizing the relationship between water and energy. Insights into the microscopic properties of water can inform sustainable solutions for energy production and water purification. We hope that presenting the latest groundbreaking experimental and theoretical breakthroughs will inspire creative approaches to tackling these complex problems.
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 April 19, 2026. 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.
