2018 FFW Grooming Diverse Leaders for the Future workshop will provide mentorship to senior graduate students and postdoctoral fellows aspiring to become independent academic researchers in the broad areas of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, and Polymer Science, with a focus on soft materials and biomaterials.  Eminent professors and workshop alums will cover topics such as the faculty application process, interviewing, proposal writing, networking, choosing research directions, research management, and publication/presentation skills.  The workshop will include numerous discussions, breakout sessions, and active-learning scenarios, and a mentee/mentor ratio of ~3:1 will be maintained to encourage personalized mentoring.  Applications from minorities, women, and other groups underrepresented in science and engineering are especially encouraged.