13th International Congress of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics

Abstract : The funds from this grant along those from other sources were used to support the 20th International Congress of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, which took place in Chicago, IL during 27 August - 2 September 2000. These international conferences have been held every four years since 1924, except during World War II, and this was only the third time it was in the United States. It is not an exaggeration to call them the Olympic Games' of the field of mechanics. The number of registered attendees was 1,431 from 66 countries, a record for this conference. With each submission being reviewed by 5-6 recognized authorities in the field, the quality of the presentations was extremely high. The acceptance rate was 56%, about the same as that of the best journals in the field. The Congress provided financial support of $122,000 to 128 participants from 26 countries, which ranged from waived registration only to everything including lodging and airfare. It is hoped that the Federal agencies, university groups, professional societies, and private foundations that supported ICTAM 2000 financially took great pride in what by all accounts was a most successful event.