Abstract
The 1999 Solid State Sciences Committee Forum, entitled “Materials in a New Era,” was held at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C., on February 16-17, 1999. The forum was designed to launch the report entitled Condensed-Matter and Materials Physics: Basic Research for Tomorrow 's Technology. That report, part of the decadal survey series, Physics in a New Era, reviews some of the outstanding accomplishments in materials research over the last decade. It indicates some emerging areas and conveys the true excitement in the field from a perspective of basic science and potential societal impact. The forum was designed to showcase the main themes of that report.
The tone of this forum was considerably more upbeat than that of the forum held 3 years ago. In the interim, the federal funding picture for scientific research has stabilized and improved, there is increased awareness of the value of sustained investment in research in Washington, and industrial support for physical science has stabilized. With such relatively good news, it is tempting for the community to become complacent about being recognized as an invaluable contributor to the U.S. and world economy. However, the message of this forum is that the condensed-matter and materials physics community must continue to be proactive in bringing the field to a more broadly based audience, including politicians and lay persons not versed in science.
These proceedings provide a written record of the 2-day event for forum attendees and other interested scientists, program managers, policymakers, and members of the general public. The sources of the articles herein are written material provided by the speaker and notes taken by members of the Solid State Sciences Committee. Unless otherwise specified, the articles were prepared from notes taken by a member of the Solid State Sciences Committee.
