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Summary and Recommendations
Pages 1-8

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From page 1...
... The assignment included definition of research frontiers, identification of national research and educational challenges, and delineation of the corresponding funding priorities needed for planning by funding agencies. The report builds on two earlier NRC reports, Polymer Science and Engineering: Challenges, Needs, and Opportunities (NRC, 1981)
From page 2...
... Analytical methods, including an array of new microscopic techniques particularly suited to polymers, have been developed recently and promise to work hand-in-hand with theoretical advances to provide a rational approach to developing new polymers and polymer products. The field of polymer science and engineering therefore shows no sign of diminished vigor, assuring new applications in medicine, biotechnology, electronics, and communications that will multiply the investment in research many times over in the next few decades.
From page 3...
... The basic research segment for polymers from the National Science Foundation amounted to only $23 million in 1993. Industrial support for polymer science and engineering research has been very strong over the decades, but that support appears to be ebbing quickly as corporations retreat from long-range research to research aimed at near-term product introduction or modification.
From page 4...
... Another concern arises from the interdisciplinary nature of polymer science and engineering, and the lack of the field's integration into most university curricula. Isolated faculty members specializing in polymer research can be found in many chemisty, chemical engineering, and materials science and engineering departments, yet at many universities the barriers between departments prevent effective interdisciplinary collaboration in polymer research and teaching.
From page 5...
... Consideration should be given to the following: · Maintenance of corporate research groups that have a viable nucleus of highly qualified specialists, to enable corporations to take advantage of continuing advances and breakthroughs; · Development of government policies and legislation that encourage achievement of long-term, rather than just short-term, goals by industry and that stimulate industry and economic well-being; · Funding by government of programs that encourage industry collaboration with academia and with national laboratories; and · Increased funding for polymer research that reflects the significance of polymers as a key element in the current materials initiatives. Increased Interaction Between Polymer Researchers and Practitioners: Need for Interdisciplinary Approaches and Team Efforts Findings and Conclusions: As the field of polymer science and engineering and the problems it addresses have grown larger and more complex, the need has increased for an integrated approach to achieving improvements in such key areas as manufacturing, transportation, energy, housing, medicine, information and communications, and defense.
From page 6...
... to aid visualization and understanding of polymer properties; and · Theory including modeling, statistical mechanics, and molecular dynamics studies that take advantage of the unprecedented computing power available now and in the foreseeable future. These methods will allow modeling of complex processing operations, prediction of mechanical behavior and failure, calculation of thermodynamic and time-dependent properties, and the design of molecules capable of highly specific molecular recognition.
From page 7...
... Recommendation 4: The committee recommends that an independent committee at the national level be appointed to accomplish the following: · Analysis of the environmental issues posed by materials, including polymers; and . Scientific, engineering, and economic analyses of polymeric materials production, processing, use, recycling, and end-use disposal as a guide to environmental policymaking.
From page 8...
... Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. National Research Council (NRC)


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