The direct conversion of solar energy to electricity, heat or fuels is becoming increasingly important as global demand for energy grows, environmental constraints on pollution, and climate change tighten. In recent years, nanostructuring has emerged as a route to enhanced conversion efficiency through control of light propagation, carrier collection, and heat transport. Through nanoscale design, properties including the bandgap, composition, light absorption and scattering can be controlled and arranged into complex and novel energy conversion schemes. This symposium will focus broadly on the role of nanomaterials in current and future solar energy conversion technologies, including biological and biomimetic conversion, organic and inorganic photovoltaics, photoelectrochemistry, and solar thermal conversion.