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OCR for page 27
5
1
Summary
1
The presentations, clisplays, ancl discussions held (luring the workshop
emphasized the pivotal role of materials in enahlin~ n(1v~noP~ ~nr1 new terhnnl~
.
~ ~ :~ ~~~ in
areas as diverse as national security, energy, vehicles, biomaterials, and optical networks
anc! communications. Many presentations linker! past and ongoing materials successes
with future needs for materials and revealer! fertile ground for future materials research
and development. An opinion expressed frequently by many of the participants was that
enhancing society's awareness of the role of materials in the technology people use every
clay is crucial to creating a climate that will enable materials scientists and engineers to
continue to make these contributions.
It was suggester! that insufficient funcling and the clecline in the available
workforce with training in physical sciences will limit progress in promising areas of
materials research. Materials science ant! engineering is an amalgam of many of the
physical sciences but with a specific focus on the application of science and engineering
to materials ant! on the application of materials to science and engineering. The many
studies ant! surveys discussed at the workshop documented the decrease in students,
especially domestic students, studying these disciplines. Anecdotal eviclence presented by
both large ant! small companies reinforcer} these observations.
Reasons proposed at the workshop for the decline in the available workforce
inclucle(1 funding shortfalls, a failure to engage potential students at the right time, the
perception that the physical sciences are difficulty and the lone training period. Several
presenters and discussants mentioned the interdisciplinary nature of materials science ant!
engineering, which calls for students who are not only capable of such study but also
willing to spend many years in on-thejob training to gain experience in the fiel(l.
Several presentations reported that research funding for physical sciences has not
grown at the same rate as that for the biological sciences. However, it was not made
clear that funding parity was an appropriate goal instead it was stated that a "correct"
level of funding, based on economic, societal, and technical needs, must be cletermined.
The workshop iclentifiec! some unfilled research, development, ant! technology
needs in the field. However, several speakers and participants at the workshop cliscussed
the neec! for a more in-depth analysis. Some speakers referred to the NRC decacial survey
on astronomy and astrophysics, citing its considerable usefulness to Congress in
supporting research initiatives in that fielcl.~
The NRC published cleca(lal studies in materials science and engineering in 1974
ant! 1989 and in condensed matter ant! materials physics in 1999. Many aspects of the
study of materials science and engineering over that time period were presented at the
workshop, highlighting the changes in the field as it gained an identity and maturest into a
O
'National Research Council, 2001, Astronomy and Astrophysics in the New Millennium, Washington,
D.C.: National Academy Press.
27
OCR for page 28
MATERIALS AND SOCIETY
respected field of study. Several presentations emphasized the increasing diversity of the
field and the multi- and interdisciplinary expertise of the people who participate in
materials science and engineering.
~ _ 1 _ _ _ _ 1 1 1
.
Several speakers and panel members stated that a study identifying new directions
In materials science and engineering and prioritizing materials research needs would be
useful to both the community and the Congress. Like their colleagues who had
previously assessed the field, these speakers viewed the understanding and application of
the relationships among synthesis, process, structure, and properties of all materials the
basis of materials science and engineering as key components.
The status of education and the workforce in materials science and engineering
was discussed throughout the workshop. The discussions ran the gamut from
kindergarten through grade 12, technical training, undergraduate, graduate, and
continuing education and retraining of the current workforce. Many discussants provided
anecdotes or suggested actions that could be taken to address the decreasing numbers of
trained professionals and overall workforce deficiencies. However, these participants
also suggested that a better assessment and definition of the supply and demand for
persons with training in materials would benefit the field considerably.
1,
ll
,,
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Representative terms from entire chapter:
available workforce
