Opportunities in Experiment, Computation, Theory and AI Virtual July 2021 Workshop with Focus on Metals and Alloys

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY

This project supports a workshop that will bring together experts from the materials science and engineering and data science communities to identify research opportunities in metals and metallic nanostructures that will address national priorities for the next decade. The workshop will: (1) summarize current research trends and recent breakthroughs and identify emerging research areas; (2) assess how research on metals and metallic nanoparticles (MMN) and condensed matter and materials theory (CMMT) contribute towards addressing current national priorities; (3) assess instrumentation and cyberinfrastructure needs; (4) identify opportunities for MMN research in the emerging digital environment; (5) identify needs and methods for workforce development; and (6) Identify strategies to enhance community engagement and collaboration with industry.

The workshop will be held virtually in July of 2021 and will include 75 to 80 participants representing academic institutions, industry, and national laboratories. The workshop participants will include a diverse group of attendees representing expertise in materials science and engineering and data science.

TECHNICAL SUMMARY

Our modern understanding of materials science and engineering (MSE) is derived from an amalgam of fundamental knowledge from physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and engineering sciences that enables us to understand and control the structures, properties and performance of engineering materials. Materials research exploits this interdisciplinary framework to improve our understanding of the physical phenomena underlying materials properties and applying that knowledge to produce materials to meet societal needs, with an increasing emphasis on economic viability and sustainability.

Furthermore, rapid advances in computational tools are accelerating fundamental materials discovery. This award will support the “Opportunities in Metals and Metallic Nanostructures: Experiment, Computation, Theory and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Workshop.” This workshop, which will be a partnership between the Metals and Metallic Nanostructures (MMN) and Condensed Matter and Materials Theory (CMMT) programs at the National Science Foundation, brings the experiment and theory/computation elements of the MMN community together to identify emerging research challenges and opportunities in MMN.

The workshop will identify fundamental research directions that could substantially enhance the design, fabrication, and use of innovative metallic materials and systems in applications that exploit their unique properties. The workshop will address: (1) increasingly relevant roles of theory and computation, advanced synthesis methods, emerging characterization approaches, structure evolution and innovative property measurement approaches; (2) educational and workforce issues that limit the impact of research in metals and metallic nanostructures; and (3) unique roles of MMN and CMMT research in leveraging and/or meeting national priorities, including the Materials Genome Initiative and the Advanced Manufacturing Initiative, for advancing research into the future, ensuring inclusivity, and continuing global leadership in science and engineering.

This virtual facilitated workshop is being planned to take place from July 19 through July 24th, 2021 and will engage approximately 75 - 80 participants, representing a broad range of educational and research institutions, industry, and will include international representation.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.