The National Science Foundation's Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers program : looking back, moving forward / MRSEC Impact Assessment Committee, Solid State Sciences Committee, Board on Physics and Astronomy, Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences, National Research Council of the National Academies.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

National Research Council (U.S.). MRSEC Impact Assessment Committee.

National Academies Press (U.S.)

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

National Science Foundation (U.S.). Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers.

National Science Foundation (U.S.).

Materials--Research--United States.

Materials.

Engineering and state--United States.

Engineering and state.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (227 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Other Title:

Looking back, moving forward

National Science Foundation's MRSEC program

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : National Academies Press, c2007.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSEC) Impact Assessment Committee was convened by the National Research Council in response to an informal request from the National Science Foundation. Charged to examine the impact of the MRSEC program and to provide guidance for the future, the committee included experts from across materials research as well as several from outside the field. The committee developed a general methodology to examine the MRSEC centers and after extensive research and analysis, came to the following conclusions. MRSEC center awards continue to be in great demand. The intense competition within the community for them indicates a strong perceived value. Using more quantitative measures, the committee examined the performance and impact of MRSEC activities over the past decade in the areas of research, facilities, education and outreach, and industrial collaboration and technology transfer. The MRSEC program has had important impacts of the same high standard of quality as those of other multi-investigator or individual-investigator programs. Although the committee was largely unable to attribute observed impacts uniquely to the MRSEC program, MRSECs generally mobilize efforts that would not have occurred otherwise. Because of an observed decline in the effectiveness of the centers, the committee recommended a restructuring the MRSEC program to allow more efficient use and leveraging of resources. The new program should fully invest in centers of excellence as well as in stand-alone teams of researchers to allow tighter focus on key strengths of the program. In its report, the committee outlines one potential vision for how this might be accomplished in a revenue-neutral fashion.

Contents:

""Front Matter""; ""Preface""; ""Acknowledgment of Reviewers""; ""Contents""; ""Executive Summary""; ""Overview""; ""1 Introduction""; ""2 The Overall Context of the Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers Program""; ""3 Assessment of Research and Facilities Impact""; ""4 Assessment of the Impact of MRSEC Education and Outreach""; ""5 Assessment of the Impact of MRSEC Collaboration with Industry""; ""6 The Future of National Science Foundation Materials Centers""; ""Appendixes""; ""A Charge to the Committee""; ""B Meeting Agendas""

""C List of Current Research Topics of MRSEC Interdisciplinary Research Groups""""D Further Information on Education and Outreach Activities""; ""E Selected Acronyms""; ""F Data-Gathering Tools""; ""G Biographical Sketches of Committee Members and Staff""

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

9786611109929

9780309178969

0309178967

9781281109927

1281109924

9780309109628

0309109620

OCLC:

923277779