Reflections on Enabling Early Career Polymer Physicists and Session Motivation

The field of polymer physics has led to the discovery of foundational principles that have positively impacted society in applications ranging from human health through advanced electronics. While this work has occurred in multiple institutions and in laboratories across the globe, many research and training efforts have occurred in academic institutions within the United States. Given the support systems associated with these laboratories, federal funding is crucial to the initial and sustained success of these endeavors. Thus, federal funding agencies play a critical role in the intellectual ecosystem of the polymer physics community. This session is dedicated to highlighting how the support for early-career researchers has enabled their initial success and helped launch impressive careers that have shaped the current state of polymer physics and, in turn, DPOLY. In this talk, we will provide an overview of this support landscape and set the stage for the distinguished researchers who will provide the technical talks of the session with a specific focus on the support and mentorship that has enabled early career development.