Partial Support of the Solid State Sciences Committee

National Academy Of Sciences, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

****NON-TECHNICAL ABSTRACT**** This award supports the Solid State Sciences Committee (SSSC) of the Board on Physics and Astronomy of the National Academies. The SSSC monitors the health of the solid state sciences, identifies important new developments at the scientific forefronts, fosters interactions with other fields and between the science community and the federal government, facilitates effective service to the nation, and enhances education in physics. The SSSC is a multidisciplinary committee with membership drawn from universities, industry, and national laboratories. Its members? areas of expertise include condensed-matter physics, solid state chemistry, and materials research aspects of ceramics, electronic materials, metallurgy, and polymers. This broad membership contributes to the ?cross-training? of researchers. Through committee meetings, members are informed about the breadth of science and build a multidisciplinary understanding of the forefronts of science. Equally important, members of the SSSC gain an appreciation for the policymaking process of Washington. ****TECHNICAL ABSTRACT**** This award supports the Solid State Sciences Committee (SSSC) of the Board on Physics and Astronomy of the National Academies. The SSSC identifies and discusses issues of concern to the solid state science research, development, and applications community, particularly in connection with research opportunities, and provides guidance to federal agencies regarding their associated programs. The committee?s operating guidelines are: (1) to respond to requests for technical information and assistance; (2) to initiate and oversee the conduct and publication of studies in the solid state sciences and its strong multidisciplinary connections to other field of science and technology; (3) to act as an educational resource for the solid state community; and (4) to provide a forum for discussion among solid state and materials scientists and Washington policymakers. The SSSC prepares white papers on emerging areas of research in the solid state sciences to initiate subsequent National Research Council committee studies on those topics.