Materials World Network: The Materials Computation Center Outreach Effort

University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign, Urbana IL

Investigators

Abstract

The Materials Computation Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign continues its international outreach efforts. These include an international travel program that sends young scientists to workshops, summer schools and conferences in Europe, and specifically to events organized by the European networks CECAM and Psi-k that are concerned with topics in molecular and electronic simulation over a wide range of applications. Such networks conduct many workshops in scientific disciplines imminently relevant to materials research such as molecular and electronic simulation, condensed matter physics, materials chemistry, polymers, nanostructures, and electronic materials. The number of participating institutions and the number of workshops are both growing. The topics of the workshops evolve yearly to cover key, contemporary areas of computational materials science. The workshops present valuable opportunities for exposure to and specialized training in new scientific trends. Sending young, US-based scientists to these international workshops enhances scientific partnerships in an immediate, productive way. While the US is strong in innovative techniques and high-performance computing, the European strength lies in applications of existing methodology; a larger number of researchers there develop computer codes and perform materials simulations. Synergy adds value to both research communities. In addition, the MCC proposes continuation of support of the annual US "New Methods in Electronic Structure" workshop by funding the travel of 15-20 participating junior scientists and by hosting the website and presentation materials at the University of Illinois.