International Center for Materials Research

University Of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara CA

Investigators

Abstract

This award continues the funding for the International Materials Institute at the University of California at Santa Barbara, called the International Center for Materials Research (ICMR), which was founded in 2004. During the next five years, ICMR will continue to promote international research collaborations and education in materials science and engineering with the goals to (1) enable ground-breaking discoveries by facilitating multidisciplinary, international collaborations, (2) provide opportunities for junior researchers to develop the skill needed to excel in a global research environment and (3) integrate materials research experiences with an awareness of environmental and developing world issues into undergraduate curricula. The IMI covers thematic research programs in a broad range of experimental and theoretical materials science topics, such as, multifunctional materials and complex oxides, strongly correlated materials, materials theory for experimental problems, multiscale modeling of electrochemical systems for energy applications. Each research program begins with an international workshop to define pressing issues in the field, followed by a school to train graduate students and junior researchers, and extended international exchange visits by students and faculty. Finally a wrap-up conference on each research program allows progress to be summarized, future directions to be defined, and facilitates initial evaluation of program effectiveness. This IMI serves as an umbrella for existing and new world-wide networks of collaborations at the individual researcher and institutional levels. International research collaborations encompass many countries in Asia, Europe, and Latin America while workshops and schools include participants from across the globe. Furthermore, the IMI offers international research fellowships, travel grants to pursue research in foreign laboratories, undergraduate exchange program, student-led engineering design projects and travel fellowships focused on materials research related issues in emerging regions of the world, as well as student science reporter apprentice opportunities. The IMI management team consists of UCSB faculty members, administrative coordinators, and a local steering committee. A U.S.-wide advisory board helps solicit and select ideas for new programs and an international advisory board provides general guidance for IMI activities.