1
Introduction
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine hosted the Workshop on Materials Science and Engineering in a Post-Pandemic World as part of a workshop series on Defense Materials, Manufacturing, and Infrastructure (DMMI). The DMMI Standing Committee organizes events exploring issues regarding materials, manufacturing, and infrastructural activities relevant to military personnel, platforms, and facilities, as well as the manufacturing and industrial base for both the military and commercial sector (see Appendix A). Addressing these issues is important to maintaining U.S. technological superiority; creating energy-efficient, high-performance and sustainable platforms; assuring a safe, healthy, and energy-efficient infrastructure; securing the safety of facilities and ports; and supporting the processes that provide U.S. defense materials, parts, and products. Although DMMI’s workshops assess these issues from a defense lens, informed approaches in these areas will also support the nation’s broader goals related to technological leadership, safety, infrastructure, and a robust manufacturing sector.
The workshop was held online December 7-9, 2020 (see Appendix B). The event brought together approximately 30 speakers and attendees representing physics, materials science, engineering, and manufacturing from industry, academia, and government agencies (see Appendix D).
In welcoming remarks, DMMI Standing Committee Chair Haydn Wadley, University of Virginia, highlighted two major questions surrounding materials science and engineering in a post-pandemic world. First, what are the best strategies to nurture current students and future talent when COVID-19 has disrupted the education of students at every age and level? Second, what new approaches will
be needed to reestablish the global supply chain that underlies materials, manufacturing, research, and engineering in the wake of pandemic-related disruptions? While the specific needs of the defense community are a priority, Wadley noted that many of the workshop’s themes are relevant to all aspects of materials science and engineering. It is critical for the entire sector to understand and address the changes COVID-19 has wrought in order to restore a disrupted materials and manufacturing workforce and the nation’s materials supply chains.
Workshop Chair Katherine Faber, Simon Ramo Professor of Materials Science at the California Institute of Technology, described the workshop’s major areas of focus: the impacts of COVID-19 on the student pipeline; university–government research1 and development partnerships; the impact of the pandemic in the international context; the post-pandemic workforce needs of the Department of Defense; and potential solutions to recruit and train a new, diverse generation of materials scientists and engineers.
The workshop was unclassified and open to the public. This proceedings offers a condensed summary of the proceedings based on recordings, slides, and transcripts from the workshop.
___________________
1 See K.R. Lutchen, 2018, “Why Companies and Universities Should Forge Long-Term Collaborations,” Harvard Business Review, https://hbr.org/2018/01/why-companies-and-universities-shouldforge-long-term-collaborations.