The Institute for Mathematics and its Applications (IMA) in conjunction with the National Science Foundation Division of Math Sciences is organizing a one-day workshop on the new initiative called SOLAR http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503298.

The goal of the workshop is to bring together a mixed audience of mathematicians, chemists and materials scientists to discuss scientific challenges in high efficiency harvesting, conversion and storage of solar energy. The workshop will aim to plant the seeds for interdisciplinary collaborations necessary to address the grand challenges in solar energy conversion and storage. It will aim to educate the mixed audience of attendees about the issues and provide a framework for detailed discussions on what needs to be done to surpass the grand challenges. The workshop will begin with four talks by speakers who are experts in fundamental science of solar energy conversion and culminate in the afternoon with panel discussions.