Materials Theory Award

The Materials Theory Award recognizes exceptional advances made by materials theory to the fundamental understanding of the structure and behavior of materials. This award is intended to honor both those who have pioneered the development of a new theoretical approach and those who have used existing approaches to provide significant new insight into materials behavior.

MRS acknowledges the generosity of Dr. Gwo-Ching Wang and Dr. Toh-Ming Lu in endowing the Materials Theory Award.

The Award

The annual award consists of a $5,000 cash prize, a presentation trophy and a certificate. Meeting registration fee, transportation and hotel expenses to attend the MRS meeting at which the award is presented will be reimbursed.

Nomination Information

Rules and eligibility, nomination package requirements and more are available here.

Emily Carter of UCLA discusses her MRS Materials Theory Award talk on Quantum-Derived Materials Solutions for a Sustainable Future. Dr. Carter has been presented with this award “For advances in quantum mechanics theory with broad applications to materials and chemical sciences.”

Materials Theory Award Recipients

Chris Van de Walle, University of California, Santa Barbara (2023)

Chris Van de Walle, University of California, Santa Barbara

For advances in development of rigorous ab initio methodologies for understanding point defects and their effect on light emission in wide-bandgap semiconductors

George Schatz, Northwestern University (2022)

George Schatz, Northwestern University

For pioneering theoretical advances in the properties of plasmonic nanostructures, self-assembly models for soft materials, and the discovery of lattice plasmon polaritons.

Emily Carter, University of California, Los Angeles (2021)

“For advances in quantum mechanics theory with broad applications to materials and chemical sciences"

Jean-Luc Bredas, The University of Arizona (2020)

“For seminal theoretical contributions to the design and understanding of novel molecules and materials in thefields of organic electronics and photonics"

Lu Sham, University of California, San Diego (2019)

“for pioneering contributions to the quantum theory of molecules and solids, especially the Kohn–Sham formulation of density functional theory "

Giulia Galli, The University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory (2018)

“For the development of advanced first-principles simulation methods and their application to the understanding, prediction and design of complex nanostructured materials "

Glenn H. Fredrickson, University of California, Santa Barbara (2017)

“For pioneering the development of field-theoretic computer simulation methods and their application to investigate and design self-assembling polymers and soft materials"

Gerbrand Ceder, University of California, Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (2016)

“For seminal contributions to the emerging field of computationally guided materials exploiting high-throughput computation and promoting the development of open databases to enable widespread use."

Steven G. Louie, University of California, Berkeley (2015)

"For his seminal contributions to the development of ab initio methods for and the elucidation of many-electron effects in electronic excitations and optical properties of solids and nanostructures."

Long-Qing Chen, The Pennsylvania State University (2014)

"For his pioneering work in the development of phase-field method and its applications in the computational modeling of mesoscale structures and their dynamics in inhomogeneous materials."

David J. Srolovitz, University of Pennsylvania (2013)

"For decisive and highly influential contributions to the theory and simulation of microstructure, morphological evolution, mechanical behavior, and the structure and dynamics of interfaces."

John P. Perdew, Tulane University (2012)

"For his pioneering contributions to the fundamental development and nonempirical approximations in density functional theory."

Alex Zunger, University of Colorado, Boulder (2011)

"For his development of the inverse band structure approach to materials by design and the foundational developments of methods of first-principles theory of solids, leading to innovative and transformative studies of renewable-energy materials and nanostructures."