Overview
Advances in materials science and engineering play a crucial role in supporting the U.S. economy and national security. To maintain its leading edge in the field, the United States relies on a rich and diverse innovation ecosystem encompassing industry, academic institutions, and government laboratories. While this ecosystem has generated numerous gains for defense agencies, the technology sector, consumers, and the country as a whole over many decades, recent years have brought new challenges and a shifting global dynamic in the field. The United States, long a global magnet for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education and expertise, has seen its competitive edge slip as other countries in Europe and Asia have increased their investments in cultivating science and engineering talent and innovation. In 2020, the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic caused far-reaching disruptions for both education and supply chains across the world, compounding many of the dynamics that were already affecting materials science and engineering in the United States.
To explore these issues, the Workshop on Materials Science and Engineering in a Post-Pandemic World was organized as part of a workshop series on Defense Materials, Manufacturing, and Infrastructure. Hosted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the virtual event brought together approximately 30 speakers and attendees representing materials science, engineering, and manufacturing experts from industry, academia, and government agencies.
The 3-day workshop explored education and workforce trends across the nation and the globe, with particular focus on the Department of Defense and university–government collaborations. Participants discussed how the COVID-19 pandemic
has affected science and engineering education, opportunities to reimagine traditional education for the field, and the imperative to develop a more diverse workforce. Several speakers presented their views on what the post-pandemic future may hold, and many offered perspectives on key concerns and priorities for the field moving forward.
While participants pointed to many reasons for concern, they also highlighted examples of fruitful collaboration among industry, government, and universities. These examples illustrate how bringing together the right expertise in the right environment can help to advance basic research and translate scientific insights into viable technologies for defense and commercialization. Participants discussed how materials science and engineering programs might be enhanced to provide students with the optimal mix of knowledge and skills to thrive, whether they choose to follow an entrepreneurial path or pursue a career in government, the military, or academia.
At the same time, participants examined several factors that may undermine progress in the field and weaken the United States’ role as a leading force in innovation globally. First, speakers suggested the United States is losing its edge in investing in and maintaining the research and manufacturing infrastructure for areas seen as critical to the nation’s defense and economy. Second, several speakers posited that the United States is seeing increasing competition for top talent as the country has become a less appealing place for foreign-born individuals to learn and work. Finally, many speakers emphasized the importance of cultivating a diverse workforce and urged concerted efforts to broaden the field’s inclusiveness and advance equity in materials science and engineering education and practice.
COVID-19 has substantial and potentially long-lasting effects on how we live, learn, and work. The pandemic has touched every aspect of materials science and engineering, but the impacts on the workforce pipeline—combined with dynamics that were already under way before the pandemic—may have the most far-reaching implications. Workshop participants discussed a range of opportunities for researchers and businesses restarting their operations and rebuilding disrupted supply chains—to mitigate key challenges and strengthen the education and workforce pipeline for the good of the field and the country as a whole.
