Materials Research Science and Engineering Center

Overview

The mission of the U.S. National Science Foundation Northwestern University Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (NSF NU-MRSEC) is to advance world-class materials research, education, and outreach via active interdisciplinary collaborations within the Center and with external partners in academia, industry, national laboratories, and museums, both domestically and abroad. This mission will be realized by two synergistic interdisciplinary research groups (IRGs), an active Seed funding program, and commercialization, shared facilities, education, and outreach programs that widely disseminate NSF NU-MRSEC research advances to the scientific community, marketplace, society and students at all levels.

Research

The intellectual merit of the NSF NU-MRSEC primarily resides within its two Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs)

IRG-1: Bioprogrammable Materials via Cell-Free Synthetic Biology
IRG-2: Orchestrated Iontronics via Dynamic Hybrid Ionic/Electronic Conductors.

Seed funding is provided to support innovative, high-risk projects that extend beyond the present scope of the IRGs and to ensure the continual evolution of NSF NU-MRSEC research portfolio.

Broader Impact

Education

The Center seeks to expand interest in science and engineering by implementing innovative outreach infrastructure and programs designed to inform the public about current research trends and inspire talented and diverse students as future scientists.

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Partnerships

The Center provides the physical and intellectual infrastructure to nucleate domestic and international collaborative opportunities in materials research, in addition to transitioning its diverse research portfolio into new commercial opportunities.

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Facilities

The Center maintains an extensive set of diverse shared facilities that provide faculty, students, and industrial partners with access to state-of-the-art equipment and hands-on training from expert technicians.

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Data Management

The NSF NU-MRSEC follows best practices aligned with FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable) data and research software principles. Adherence to the open science practices is achieved through the newly created NU-MRSEC DaTA Rretrieval (NECTAR) website, which links data, software, and supporting information appearing for all primarily and partially supported NU-MRSEC products.