The UW–Madison Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) has received $18 million from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for interdisciplinary exploration of fundamental questions in materials science, according to a recent press release.
The grant will provide six years of funding for MRSEC, which includes more than 30 affiliated faculty across nine university departments, as well as collaborators at other institutions and in industry. MRSEC is one of 21 NSF-funded centers that conduct fundamental materials research, education, and outreach at the nation’s leading research institutions.
This round of funding marks a quarter-century of support for the MRSEC.
Research supported by the MRSEC has led to many discoveries, including:
- Liquid crystals useful in sensing toxic gases;
- New types of semiconductors that could power next-generation devices;
- A deeper understanding of carbon nanotubes that could be important in next-generation solar;
- Advances in the synthesis of thin film oxides that could lead to new electronic devices; and
- New understandings of glass, which could lead to tougher versions of the material and new types of organic electronic computer displays or photovoltaic cells.
The MRSEC has also launched 13 startup companies in areas ranging from scientific instrumentation to medical diagnostic technologies. In addition to two interdisciplinary research groups, the MRSEC has an inclusive education outreach team, shared instrument facilities, and the Advanced Materials Industrial Consortium.
