2026 NSF CREST/HBCU-RISE PI MEETING
August 26-28, 2026, Washington, DC
Hosted by the NSF CREST Center of Nanotechnology Research and Education (CNRE) at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC)
| Day 1 – Wednesday August 26, 2026 | |
| Day 1 – Omni Shoreham Hotel, 2500 Calvert Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 | |
| 12:00 - 6:00 PM | Registration, Omni Shoreham Hotel |
| 6:30 – 8:30 PM | Reception and Welcome Remarks |
| Day 2 – Thursday August 27, 2026 | |
| Day 2 – Campus of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) | |
| 7:00 – 10:00 AM | Registration |
| 7:00 – 8:00 AM | Breakfast – Served at the Hotel |
| 8:00 – 8:30 AM | Travel time to UDC campus (use metro cards provided to attendees) |
| 8:35 – 8:55 AM | Welcome remarks by CREST PI Meeting Team, UDC Leadership, and NSF Program Officer Dr. Regina Sievert |
| 8:55 – 10:20 AM | Session One: Future Outlook and Funding Opportunities Presented by Invited Agencies/Guests and NSF Program Officers |
| 10:20 – 10:40 AM | Coffee Break |
| 10:40 – 12:10 PM | Session Two: Best Practices for Patenting and Commercialization |
| 12:15 – 1:15 PM | Lunch – Catered at the UDC Campus – Keynote Speaker (TBD) |
| 1:25 – 2:55 PM | Session Three: Center Operations and Management Best Practices – Panel Discussion |
| 3:00 – 4:00 PM | Coffee Break Discussion: Process for Making Best Coffee: Taguchi Method and Its Applications in Efficient and Productive Research |
| 4:00 – 5:15 PM | Session Four: Townhall Meeting – Challenges and Opportunities |
| 5:30 - 7:30 PM | Dinner – Catered: Networking Opportunity |
| 5:30 - 7:30 PM | Dinner – Closed Meeting with PRP PIs – Led by Dr. Regina Sievert |
| 7:30 PM | Travel back to hotel (use metro cards provided to attendees) |
| Day 3 – Friday August 28, 2026 | |
| Day 3 – Campus of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) | |
| 7:00 – 8:00 AM | Breakfast – Served at the Hotel |
| 8:00 – 8:30 AM | Travel time to UDC campus (use metro cards provided to attendees) |
| 8:35 – 9:35 AM | CREST Innovation Poster Competition |
| 9:35 – 9:50 AM | Coffee Break |
| 9:50 AM – 12:00 PM | Early Career Investigator Workshop |
| 9:50 AM – 12:00 PM | Guided Research Facilities Tour |
| 12:00 – 12:15 PM | Concluding Remarks by CREST PI Meeting Organization Team |
| 12:15 – 1:15 PM | Collaboration Discussions (Optional) – Box lunches will be provided |
| 1:15 PM | Meeting Adjourns |
Download the 2026 NSF CREST/HBCU-RISE/PRP PI Meeting Agenda (Whova Agenda)
U.S. National Science Foundation
Award No. 2434130
Award No. 2112650
Award No. 1914751
Welcome Message (TBA)
Registration
Registration for this meeting is free of charge. Please use the following link to complete your registration: https://secure.touchnet.net/C20545_ustores/web/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCTID=10346&SINGLESTORE=true
Download Whova
For feature details, visit Whova
Lodging
Omni Schoreham Hotel
- One room will be reserved for the attendees free of charge, please contact Gabriela Cantu at gabriela.cantu@utrgv.edu. If you require additional rooms please contact the hotel directly.
- August 26-28, 2026
- Hotel Address: 2500 Calvert Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
Travel Information
-
Airport to Hotel
- Hotel to UDC: Metro cards will be provided to attendees
Should you have any questions, need additional information, or special accommodations, please contact the CREST MECIS at (956) 665-3070 or send an email to mecis@utrgv.edu or gabriela.cantu@utrgv.edu.