International Benchmarking of US Materials Science and Engineering Research (1998)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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 1.

BACKGROUND

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 2.

INTRODUCTION

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2.1.  How important is it for the US to lead in Materials Science and Engineering?

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2.2.  What is Materials Science and Engineering?

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2.3.  What Key Factors Characterize the Field?

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2.4.  What is the International Nature of Materials Science and Engineering?

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2.5.  What are Some Caveats?

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2.6.  Panel Charge and Rationale

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 3.

DETERMINANTS OF SCIENTIFIC LEADERSHIP

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3.1.  National Imperatives

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3.2.  Innovation Process

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3.2.1.  Pluralism

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3.2.2.  Partnerships

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3.2.3.  Regulations

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3.2.4.  Professional Societies

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3.3.  Major Facilities

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3.3.1.  Neutron Scattering Facilities

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3.3.2.  Synchrotron Sources

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3.3.3.  Nanofabrication

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3.3.4.  Computing

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3.3.5.  Smaller-scale Facilities

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3.4.  Centers

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3.5.  Human Resources

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3.6.  Funding

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 4.

BENCHMARKING RESULTS

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4.1.  Approach

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4.2.  Assessment of Current Leadership

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4.2.1.  Biomaterials

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4.2.2.  Ceramics

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4.2.3.  Composites

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4.2.4.  Magnetic Materials

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4.2.5.  Metals

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4.2.6.  Electronic and Optical–Photonic Materials

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4.2.7.  Superconducting Materials

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4.2.8.  Polymers

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4.2.9.  Catalysts

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 5.

PROJECTION OF LEADERSHIP DETERMINANTS

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5.1.  Overview

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5.2.  Attraction of Talented Researchers

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5.3.  Funding

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5.4.  Infrastructure

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5.5.  Cooperative Government-Industrial-Academic Research

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 6.

LIKELY FUTURE POSITIONS

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6.1.  Introduction

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6.2.  Biomaterials

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6.3.  Ceramics

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6.4.  Composites

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6.5.  Magnetic Materials

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6.6.  Metals

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6.7.  Electronic and Optical–Photonic Materials

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6.8.  Superconducting Materials

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6.9.  Polymers

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6.10.  Catalysts

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 7.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

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7.1.  The United States is among the world leaders in all subfields, the leader in some.

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7.2.  The flexibility of the enterprise is as much a key indicator of leadership as is the amount of funding.

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7.3.  The innovation system is a major determinant to US leadership.

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7.4.  The United States enjoys strength through intellectual and human diversity.

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7.5.  Shifting federal and industry funding priorities, a potential reduction in access to foreign talent, and deteriorating materials research facilities may curtail the ability of the United States to capitalize on leadership opportunities.

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 8.

REFERENCES

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 9. APPENDIX A:

PANEL AND STAFF BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

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 10. APPENDIX B:

BENCHMARKING RESULTS TABLES

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 11. APPENDIX C:

HOT TOPICS LIST

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 Figure 2.1:

Inter-relationships among materials categories,

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 Figure 3.1:

Number of materials science and engineering PhDs awarded, 1986-1995,

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 Figure 3.2:

Employment status of PhD materials scientists in the US,

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 Figure 3.3:

Metallurgical/materials engineering graduate students in all institutions, by race/ethnicity and citizenship, 1993,

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 Figure 3.4:

All engineering graduate students in all institutions, by race/ethnicity and citizenship, 1993,

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 Figure 3.5:

All science graduate students in all institutions, by race/ethnicity and citizenship, 1993,

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 Figure 3.6:

Federal R&D Budget by Materials Class, in millions of US dollars,

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 Figure 3.7:

National Science Foundation Division of Materials Research budget, 1990-1998, millions of dollars,

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 Figure 3.8:

National Science Foundation Directorate for Mathematical & Physical Sciences, average annualized award size, competitive research grants, 1992-1996, thousands of dollars,

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 Figure 3.9:

National Science Foundation Division of Materials Research, permanent equipment budget, 1990-1996, millions of dollars,

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 Figure 4.1:

Papers submitted and accepted for Magnetism and Magnetic Materials ' annual conferences, 1989-1996,

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 Figure 5.1:

Scientists and engineers admitted to the US on permanent visas by labor certification, 1990-1994,

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 Figure 5.2:

Foreign Citizen Graduate Enrollment in Science and Engineering in the United States, 1983-1993,

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 Table 3.1:

Major Scientific Awards for, or Strongly Influenced by, Neutron Scattering Research,

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 Table 3.2:

Research Reactors, US,

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 Table 3.3:

Research Reactors, Abroad,

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 Table 3.4:

Spallation Sources, US,

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 Table 3.5:

Spallation Sources, Abroad,

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 Table 3.6:

Synchrotron Light Source, Operations in G7 Countries,

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 Table 3.7:

Employment Status of Doctorates in Materials Science and Engineering in the US,

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 Table 3.8:

Occupation Status of Doctorates in Materials Science and Engineering in the US,

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 Table 3.9:

Number of Doctorate Recipients by Gender and Subfield,

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 Table 3.10:

Percentage of First Degrees in Science and Engineering to Women among G-6 Nations,

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 Table 3.11:

Federal R&D Budget for Materials Research by Agency, in millions of US dollars,

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 Table 5.1:

Decline in the Admissions into the US of Immigrant Scientists and Engineers from FY 1993 to FY 1994,

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 Box 2.1:

Classes of Materials,

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 Box 3.1:

The Federation of Materials Societies,

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 Box 3.2:

International Union of Materials Research Societies,

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 Box 3.3:

The MOSIS Service,

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 Box 3.4:

A Cure for Composites,

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