Career Advancement Committee

The Early Career Professionals Subcommittee (ECPSC) is committed to providing resources to help improve the outcomes of early career professionals in the materials science community. They aim to develop programs and support early career researchers in the materials sciences across all career trajectories, including academia, national laboratories and industry professionals.  Since its start in 2019, the ECPSC has developed a variety of programming including webinar series, annual poster sessions to streamline the hiring process in materials science in both academia and industry, publications and broader impact symposia and panel discussions at the MRS Meetings.

Learn more about the Early Career Professionals Subcommittee

The aim of the Student Engagement Subcommittee (SESC) is to engage students to promote materials research and help advance students in their education and careers. The SESC is made up of undergraduate, graduate and PhD students, and the committee coordinates project-based volunteer opportunities at MRS Spring and Fall Meetings (and in between). The SESC encourages student reporting and outreach to spread exciting news from the world of materials through science blogging and modern forms of science communication.  Most recently, they’ve coordinated events such as How to Develop an Effective Proposal for User Facilities – Workshop, PowerPoint Karaoke, and Navigating, Surviving, and Thriving in the Challenging Landscape of Academia at our virtual Spring/Fall Meeting.

The University Chapter Program is a passionate and talented network of students from universities around the world. Supported by the Materials Research Society Foundation, the program fosters an environment for collaboration and open exchange of ideas across all scientific disciplines, spanning campuses and continents.  The Special Projects Program was designed to broaden awareness of materials science education in both professional and nonprofessional communities by providing programs for distribution between university chapters outside of MRS. 

MRS Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are communities within the Society with a shared interest in networking, community building and passion for advancing the materials community. The MRS Career Advancement Committee‘s Broadening Participation in Materials Coordination Group (BPMCG) is the volunteer body that serves as the umbrella for existing SIGs. Their role is to maintain a high-level view of the SIGs and promote communication and potential collaboration among SIGs where appropriate to ensure balance among SIG activities in order to maximize MRS’s efforts to Broaden Participation in Materials and in the Society.  The BPMCG can also provide guidance and input for new activities proposed by the SIGs prior to a formal approval review. The BPMCG may hold joint periodic meetings of the SIG leaders to assist in coordination of efforts.