IFoRE ‘24 Recap

Over 400 professional and student researchers from across the scientific landscape gathered together November 14–17 for the 2024 International Forum on Research Excellence (IFoRE), held at the Capital Hilton Hotel in Washington, DC.

The event began on Thursday, November 14 with a business meeting for delegates, who represented Sigma Xi chapters and the membership-at-large constituency. The 138-year-old honor society for scientists and engineers has chapters around the world at colleges, universities, government laboratories, industry research centers, and areas that cover multiple institutions. Thursday morning included affinity group sessions focused on key sectors of the research enterprise, including women in science, international, and people of color. Delegates attended affiliation- and region-based caucuses where they could discuss and vote on business matters of the Society. Chapter award recipients were announced at the afternoon assembly of delegates. Evening highlights included the annual "Curious Conversations" session in which Sigma Xi Fellow and former president Robert T. Pennock conducted a live interview with 2024 Gold Key Award recipient Cato T. Laurencin, MD, PhD.

Sigma Xi President Kathy Lu welcomed IFoRE attendees with her presidential address Friday morning. The 2024 Sigma Xi Award Winners served as keynote speakers, anchoring the Friday and Saturday agendas with six unique plenary talks. Friday’s mid-day keynote featured Northwestern University’s Mercouri Kanatzidis, PhD, winner of the Walston Chubb Award for Innovation. Dr. Laurencin returned Friday evening for the Gold Key presentation and a keynote talk on his pioneering field of regenerative engineering. Saturday featured additional keynotes from University of Pennsylvania’s César de la Fuente, PhD (Young Investigator Award), AAAS STPF/ASGCT Congressional Policy Fellow Adriana Bankston, PhD (Linda Mantel Women’s Leadership Award), Baylor College of Medicine’s Peter Hotez, MD, PhD (McGovern Science & Society Award), and UCLA’s Paul S. Weiss, PhD (Procter Prize).

Three blocks of breakout sessions, both Friday and Saturday, featured unique talks, panels, and workshops from Sigma Xi members and non-members across the scientific landscape. Thirty- and sixty-minute concurrent sessions took place along five compelling tracks: Contemporary Issues in STEM Education; Research & Technology for Global Challenges; Science, Policy, & Society; Thinking Broadly About Inclusion; and AI for STEM Education.

Friday evening featured IFoRE’s trademark networking party, where attendees were treated to food & drink stations, DJ & dancing, photo booths, light walls, and party games.

Over 200 high school, undergraduate, and graduate students attended the meeting and presented research in oral and poster format. A panel of professional judges evaluated the students on their scientific thought, method, and communication skills. Top presenters were awarded with monetary prizes, medals, and Sigma Xi membership, announced and celebrated at the Saturday evening IFoRE dinner banquet. The conference concluded on Sunday, November 17, with shuttled tours of the National History and Air & Space Museums at the Smithsonian Institute.

The fourth annual International Forum on Research Excellence (IFoRE ‘25) will take place November 6–9, 2025 in Niagara Falls, New York.