Abstract: Gordon Research Conference for Immunoengineering, July 2022 Immunoengineering is a young and vibrant field that seeks to improve human health via cutting-edge analysis, manipulation, and engineering of the immune system. Grounded in decades of work in fundamental immunology, the past decade has seen a spike in integration of principles from engineering and the physical sciences into immunological research and already includes breakthrough immunotherapies for cancer. However, the immunoengineering community does not yet have a flagship conference that brings together all of its different sub-units. Workshops held at individual universities and symposia within larger conferences have been well attended, but an internationally accessible and discussion-focused conference that supports networking between generations of researchers and across fields has been missing. Such a conference is needed to bring together leaders, new investigators, and trainees from disparate fields for the first time, to advance both translational and fundamental science and to provide a focal point for collaborative relationships, career guidance, and mentoring of trainees in this field. Therefore, this proposal requests partial support for an international meeting on Immunoengineering as part of the Gordon Research Conference (GRC) series, to be held in Ventura, CA in July 2022. The specific aims of the conference are (i) to increase our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of Immunoenginerring at three levels — basic research, translational studies, and clinical practice — by promoting engagement and long-term relationships across fields, (ii) to advance the careers of new investigators and trainees in the field of Immunoengineering by showcasing their work and facilitating networking with senior investigators and peer mentors, and (iii) to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion among new investigators and trainees in Immunoengineering via strong representation at the meeting. The program will have a keynote address and nine sessions that broadly address growth areas of Immunoengineering, molecularly engineered immunotherapies, biomaterials for vaccines and immunomodulation, systems and computational immunology, in vitro models of immunity, micro-technologies to assess immune cell function, cellular immunoeineering, and transformative tools for immunological research. Each session will feature 1-2 Short Talks selected from abstracts to highlight work by early stage investigators, as well as poster sessions and an innovative lunch-based networking strategy. We will implement strategies to increase participation of woman and historically underrepresented minorities by setting aside specific funding for such individuals, targeted advertising, and ensuring that they are well represented in the Short Talks. Thus, the 2022 Immunoengineering GRC will set the stage for the advancement of knowledge and translation in Immunoengineering by promoting engagement and ...