Resources
Resources
Materials research plays a critical role in advancing science and technology, manufacturing processes, establishing new businesses and driving economic prosperity.
The resources below include examples of how materials impact our lives, showcasing advances due to investments in materials research and highlighting areas where additional investments are needed. They are written for the lay public to facilitate communication with policy makers (and others) on matters of importance to the materials science community. Additional topics are developed each year based upon the priorities and challenges.
Featured Resources
Two Nuclear Microreactors Reach Milestone Westinghouse and Radiant are developing some of the world’s smallest reactors
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Huge, faltering fusion reactor project finally completes its magnet system
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America Needs More Fuel for Nuclear Reactors—So We’re Stealing From Old Warheads
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February 10, 2025
The European project EU-CONVERSION aims to develop new fuels to convert research reactors that currently use highly enriched uranium. This initiative, supported by scientific institutions and industry players, represents a key issue for nuclear safety and non-proliferation.
February 6, 2025
The European Commission has released a new report showing how the European Union’s commitment to collaborative research and innovation has a strong effect and what projects are using the most of their support and funding.
February 5, 2025
The International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ) was officially launched on 4-5 February, marking a pivotal moment for the global quantum community.
February 4, 2025
The Senate and House Appropriations Committees have finalized their members and subcommittee leaders for the 119th Congress, including several new leaders who now have greater influence to push for their own funding priorities. Some of these new leaders have previously been involved with the scientific community and advocated for funding increases for science agencies.
January 28, 2025
Semiconductor business between Taiwan and the United States is a "win-win" model for both sides given the high level of complementarity, the government said on Tuesday in response to tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.
January 17, 2025
President-elect Donald Trump announced his selection of three senior Department of Energy officials yesterday: National Science Board Chair Darío Gil to be under secretary for science and innovation, former Rep. Brandon Williams (R-NY) to lead the National Nuclear Security Administration, and Wells Griffith to be under secretary of energy.
January 9, 2025
Funding for two new microreactors could bring reliable nuclear power to remote locations. Westinghousesecured US $3 million for its eVinci microreactor, and Radiant Industries received $2 million for its Kaleidos microreactor, both in November from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
January 6, 2025
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $179m in funding for three Microelectronics Science Research Centers (MSRCs), which will perform basic research in microelectronics materials, device and system design, and manufacturing science to transform future microelectronics technologies.
January 4, 2025
Dr R Chidambaram, a key figure in India’s nuclear program and one of the country’s most distinguished scientists, died Saturday (January 4) morning in Mumbai. He was 88. The Department of Atomic Energy confirmed his death in a statement, saying Chidambaram passed away at 3:20 am and hailed his unparalleled contributions to India’s scientific and strategic capabilities.
December 13, 2024
A new report from Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, reveals a promising future for the country’s hydrogen electrolyser manufacturing (HEM) sector.
November 29, 2024
Japan has uncovered a $26.29 billion treasure trove beneath the ocean’s surface that could reshape its economy for the next decade. This massive discovery, poised to transform industries and reduce reliance on foreign resources, could propel Japan to the forefront of global technology and energy sectors.
November 25, 2024
During her MRS/Optica Congressional Science and Engineering Fellowship, Marie Fiori contributed to the development of the Blue Ocean Energy Innovation Act in U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer's office. This bipartisan legislation aims to advance "blue energy" research in the United States, focusing on materials for carbon sequestration, algae cultivation, and ocean water desalination. Fiori's work underscores the significant impact of materials research on sustainable energy solutions.
November 11, 2024
China's semiconductor index leapt close to a three-year high on hope that the US halt order on TSMC's shipments of advanced chips to Chinese customers could accelerate Beijing's self-reliance efforts.
November 4, 2024
Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, United Arab Emirates Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, rallied the energy industry to lead the world to the next phase of sustainable socioeconomic growth during a keynote address at the opening ceremony of the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC 2024). "We stand at the dawn of a new era of hope and possibility, defined by three megatrends: first, the rise of the global south and emerging markets. Second, the transformation of energy systems, and third, the exponential growth of AI. These three megatrends present mega opportunities that demand mega solutions," Al Jaber stated at ADIPEC 2024.
November 2, 2024
The U.S. Congress appears to be taking the next step to pass through H.R. 6213, the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act, according to a recent report from the U.S. Congressional Budget Office. Introduced earlier this year and recently reported out of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, the bill aims to bolster quantum research and development through a new round of federal funding and agency mandates, including the Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and NASA.
October 31, 2024
Right now, the world depends on Taiwan for almost all of the critical hardware needed to power AI. But how is its tech industry adapting to the growing threat of conflict with Beijing?
October 21, 2024
Navigating from lightbulb moment to laboratory demonstration and finally to manufactured reality has always been the defining struggle of hardware startups. But Pennsylvania's Ideal Semiconductor's journey is particularly illustrative of the state of invention in the U.S. semiconductor industry today and, in particular, how the CHIPS and Science Act, a law the startup's founders personally and exhaustively advocated for, might change things for the better.
September 22, 2024
The International Energy Agency's Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2024 discusses the supply of and demand for minerals used in decarbonizing our energy system. Copper is the most supplied mineral: more than 22 million tonnes of it is mined each year, mostly across Asia, South America and Africa. It's used in everything from EVs to solar panels.
September 17, 2024
Video from the Capital Hill Briefing on September 17, 2024 hosted by MRS, the American Chemical Society (ACS) and the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) highlighting how the CHIPS and Science Act is enabling the U.S. to resume global semiconductor research and manufacturing leadership.
September 11, 2024
A robot began entering the Unit 2 reactor at the defunct Fukushima nuclear power plant, in an attempt to retrieve a tiny piece of the fuel that melted down in 2011. The device, dubbed Telesco by operators (and site owners) Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO), is a robotic grabber that will be maneuvered into the reactor core using telescoping poles. If successful, it will bring back about three grams — out of the estimated 880 tons — of nuclear waste for examination by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency.
September 10, 2024
Although the next era of nuclear energy inspires big green energy ambitions, the reactors powering that vision are surprisingly small. Terrapower, the Bill Gates-backed nuclear plant that broke ground in Wyoming earlier this year, is roughly one-third the size of your typical large energy plants.
September 10, 2024
Efficient storage of hydrogen at scale is needed to facilitate the widespread adoption of this alternative fuel type. The US Department of Energy is funding a multiyear study to determine the viability, safety, and reliability of storing pure hydrogen or hydrogen-natural gas blends in different types of underground environments.
September 4, 2024
UK researchers have offered a peek at their designs for a prototype reactor meant to show fusion power is practical, providing electricity to the grid by the early 2040s. To keep costs low, the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production may rely on electromagnets made from innovative superconducting tape, and its reactor vessel and magnets may be jointed to allow easy access to replace worn components.
July 1, 2024
It took 20 years, but the design and delivery of the International Fusion Energy Project's massive toroidal magnets is complete. The 19 coils are now in Southern France, according to an ITER news release, setting the stage for the massive nuclear fusion project to make its first plasma ... eventually.
June 21, 2024
The U.S. Senate passed what's being called the ADVANCE Act, for Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy. Among a number of other changes, the bill would attempt to streamline permitting for newer reactor technology and offer cash incentives for the first companies that build new plants that rely on one of a handful of different technologies. It enjoyed broad bipartisan support both in the House and Senate and now heads to President Biden for his signature.
June 10, 2024
The United Nations (UN) has officially declared 2025 to be the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ). Agreed by its general assembly, the year-long worldwide celebration will highlight the impact and contribution of quantum science. It also aims to ensure that all nations have equal access to quantum education and opportunities. The year was chosen as it marks the centenary of Werner Heisenberg's efforts to develop the mathematical formulation of quantum phenomena.
June 6, 2024
Mexico elected its first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo — a politician with a background in physics and environmental engineering. Despite her scientific pedigree, not all researchers are confident that she will have their interests at heart, given that her mentor and predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, cut science budgets and had a sometimes antagonistic relationship with the Mexican science community. To get a view of what might come, historians and policy experts are asked about how five other scientists-turned-world-leaders fared in office, and whether their backgrounds in science were a benefit — or a detriment.
May 13, 2024
Some of the brightest synchrotron x-rays in the world are set to be beaming around China's new high-energy facility by the end of this year. The 4.8-billion-yuan (USD$665-million) High Energy Photon Source will be the first of its kind in Asia, placing China among only a handful of countries in the world that have fourth-generation synchrotron light sources.
March 28, 2024
The UK Government has announced a £16.6m investment to give semiconductor researchers and businesses access to new equipment helping them to test and make chips for use in high-energy machines such as electric vehicles and manufacturing equipment. Of the funding, £14m is targeted particularly at semiconductors used in power electronics.
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