MGI Challenge Research Communities
Call To Action
Five initial Materials Genome Initiative Challenges have been announced! Join the MGI Challenge Research Communities (MGI CRCs) now to stay informed and contribute to this exciting next phase of the Materials Genome Initiative.
MGI CRC's: Networking for Transformative MGI Breakthroughs
MGI approaches will accelerate many areas where new materials act as core enablers of transformative technologies, including computation and communication, transportation, and national security, and also help address global concerns like critical supply chains, sustainable manufacturing, climate change, and environmental sustainability. The MGI Strategic Plan calls for a focus on grand challenges to link and drive the creation and adoption of the Materials Innovation Infrastructure at the heart of accelerated discovery and design. Recent workshops have honed a vision for MGI Challenge Research Communities (MGI CRCs) to chart the course for collaborations and networks; to build and connect infrastructure; and to identify critical gaps in data and infrastructure. The MGI Strategic Plan calls for a focus on grand challenges to link and drive the creation and adoption of the Materials Innovation Infrastructure at the heart of accelerated discovery and design. Recent workshops have honed a vision for MGI Challenge Research Communities (MGI CRCs) to chart the course for collaborations and networks; to build and connect infrastructure; and to identify critical gaps in data and infrastructure.
MGI CRCs are designed to set an ambitious specific goal that brings the best and brightest talent across the R&D continuum together to focus on attaining that goal. Indeed, at the heart of the MGI CRCs is research and development across the entire continuum, from basic research that fuels new discoveries through application-driven advanced research and development that leads to new products in the market. The strength of MGI CRCs are the connections and collaborations that link stakeholders from universties, industry, repositories, platforms, federal agencies, and data leadership. CRC efforts will scope the challenges, identify resources, and highlight critical gaps to provide a roadmap for agency-level collaboration with new funding programs in pursuit of their respective missions. MGI CRCs will coordinate meetings, webinars, hackathons, and working groups on challenge topics. Industry, academia, and Federal government participants in CRC events will become the community leaders that realize the potential of the MGI to meet these challenges.
Next Steps
Sign up for MGI CRCs to receive email updates. Planning groups will coalesce in December and January. Community leadership, panel discussions, and participant input will be highlighted at the MaRDA2025 Annual Meeting in February. Register for MaRDA2025 now for the first major opportunity for public discussion and input to the Challenge Research Communities!
MGI Challenges
MGI Topic: Protecting and Improving Human Health
Challenge: Point of Care Tissue-Mimetic Materials for Biomedical Devices and Implants
Biomedical implants and wearable devices require materials that match the unique properties of the surrounding tissue. An MGI approach, including data-driven design, can help address complex constraints and enable quick development and fabrication of soft-tissue implants with customized properties and low immunogenicity. These advancements will then pave the way for computational design of biomaterials for more complex biomedical applications in the future.
Join Planning Group
MGI Topic: Protecting and Improving Human Health
Challenge: Point of Care Tissue-Mimetic Materials for Biomedical Devices and Implants
Biomedical implants and wearable devices require materials that match the unique properties of the surrounding tissue. An MGI approach, including data-driven design, can help address complex constraints and enable quick development and fabrication of soft-tissue implants with customized properties and low immunogenicity. These advancements will then pave the way for computational design of biomaterials for more complex biomedical applications in the future.
Join Planning Group
MGI Topic: Enhancing Structural Performance
Challenge: Agile Manufacturing of Affordable Multi-Functional Composites
Thermoplastic composites offer unique structural solutions for loading in dynamic environments, where light-weighting, manufacturing process agility, and cost are critical drivers. With crucial application spaces in transportation from automobiles to aircraft and spacecraft. An MGI approach can address challenges of material variability and complex manufacturing to yield a step-change in design and adoption of these game-changing materials. Key requirements include the development of digital materials design tools, processing to performance prediction models, and qualified materials data throughout the value-chain.
MGI Topic: Propelling the Information and Communications Technology Revolution Sustainably
Challenge: Materials Design for Sustainable Semiconductor Applications
The MGI community can help realize a future where artificial intelligence-powered autonomous experimentation (AI/AE) can accelerate the design and deployment of new materials that meet semiconductor industry targets, while also building in sustainability requirements from the outset. On October 30, 2024, the CHIPS R&D Program announced The CHIPS AI/AE for Rapid, Industry-informed Sustainable Semiconductor Materials and Processes (CARISSMA) funding opportunity[1] to realize this challenge.
[1] Biden-Harris Administration Opens $100 million Competition to Accelerate R&D and AI Technologies for Sustainable Semiconductor Materials | NIST
MGI Topic: Advancing Critical and Emerging Technology
Challenge: Quantum Position, Navigation, and Timing on a Chip
Position, navigation, and timing (PNT) is a pervasive need from vehicle navigation, logistics and supply chain tracking, precision agriculture, emergency response, augmented reality, to defense applications. Development of fully-integrated solid state quantum sensors—with integrated magnetometry, accelerometry, gyroscopy, and clocks (timing)—will unleash a revolution in new technologies. An MGI approach with multi-factor co-optimization of parameters will help accelerate the identification of target materials systems to facilitate the development of such an integrated sensor and technologies beyond.
MGI Topic: Enhancing Structural Performance & Protecting the Environment