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Appendix A Charge to the Committee The purpose of this study is to: 1. Define the research area of the discovery and growth of crystalline materials, framing the activities in the broader context of the condensed-matter and materials sciences. 2. Assess the health of the collective U.S. research activities in new materials and crystal growth. 3. Articulate the relationship between synthesis of bulk and thin-film materi- als and measurement-based research; identify appropriate trends. 4. Identify future opportunities for new materials and crystal growth research and discuss the potential impact on other sciences and society in general. 5. Recommend strategies to address these opportunities, including discussion of the following issues: a. Existing efforts to improve accessibility to and distribution of samples b. Technology transfer from basic research to commercial processes c. Essential elements of nationally-coordinated crystalline matter disÂcovery capabilities d. Comparisons to levels of effort in other countries The study will place the need for new crystalline materials in a larger context of materials synthesis. The scope would include not only amorphous metals and nanoscale materials, but also glasses, plastics, composites, and granular mediaâall of which garner the attention of basic research. 145