Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers are supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to undertake materials research of scope and complexity that would not be feasible under traditional funding of individual research projects.

The National Science Foundation has awarded funding to eight Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSECs) for transdisciplinary work that covers all areas of materials science and helps foster collaborations on a national and international level. These six-year awards represent a significant new investment in material science exceeding $145M.

Some cotton candy machines can do more than simply satisfy a sweet tooth. Researchers at Harvard and Vanderbilt University have discovered a way for the machines to spin new fibers that could potentially contribute to life-saving technologies such as regrowing human tissue or inventing lighter bullet proof vests. Learn more about this revolutionary NSF-funded research.   

At the recent American Physics Society meeting, MRSEC center directors and other representatives discussed new and improved opportunities in the field. The March meeting, which was held in New Orleans, brought together thousands of experienced and aspiring scientists looking to learn about the latest scientific research from industry and universities. Meeting highlights included a plenary on science policy in the 21st century, discussions on polymer opportunities across NSF, and poster sessions highlighting ongoing research.

The Division of Materials Research has a new newsletter, which highlights the department's ongoing events, activities, and research. Hear from DMR Director Linda Sapochak on the department's mission, read about the National Strategic Computing Initiative, get the latest on DMR's partnership building opportunities, and more. Check out the inaugural issue.   

How NSF’s decades-long materials science program has fostered partnerships across scientific fields.

For the first time, an experiment has directly imaged electron orbits in a high-magnetic field, illuminating an unusual collective behavior in electrons and suggesting new ways of manipulating the charged particles.  

Princeton University professor F. Duncan Haldane has been awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics "for theoretical discoveries of topological phase transitions and topological phases of matter." He shares the prize with David Thouless of the University of Washington and J. Michael Kosterlitz of Brown University. Haldane is the Eugene Higgins Professor of Physics and an IRG-1 senior investigator at the Princeton Center for Complex Materials.

With an eye toward improving material science through increased diverse perspectives, the National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded six Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials (PREM) awards this year, in its fifth such competition since 2004. Whether they focus on new laser treatments that may better target cancer cells, or on exploring new materials that could lead to sustainable energy alternatives, PREM awards couple the expertise of NSF Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSEC) with minority-serving colleges and universities to involve those students in some of the nation's preeminent materials research.

NSF today announced awards for 12 Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSECs) for multidisciplinary work that covers all areas of material science, fostering active university, national laboratory, industrial and international collaboration with integral multidisciplinary education and outreach. MRSECs receive $56 million in NSF funding.