INTERNATIONAL BENCHMARKING OF US MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING RESEARCH -- Copyright -- Preface -- Contents -- EXECUTIVE SUMMARY -- 1 BACKGROUND -- 2 INTRODUCTION -- 2.1. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR THE UNITED STATES TO LEAD IN MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING? -- 2.2. WHAT IS MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING? -- 2.3 WHAT KEY FACTORS CHARACTERIZE THE FIELD? -- 2.4. WHAT IS THE INTERNATIONAL NATURE OF MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING? -- 2.5. WHAT ARE SOME CAVEATS? -- 2.6. PANEL CHARGE AND RATIONALE -- 3 DETERMINANTS OF SCIENTIFIC LEADERSHIP -- 3.1. NATIONAL IMPERATIVES -- 3.2. INNOVATION -- 3.2.1. Pluralism -- 3.2.2. Partnerships -- 3.2.3. Regulation -- 3.2.4. Professional Societies -- 3.3. MAJOR FACILITIES -- 3.3.1. Neutron Scattering Facilities -- 3.3.2. Synchrotron Sources -- 3.3.3. Nanofabrication -- 3.3.4. Computing -- 3.3.5. Smaller Scale Facilities -- 3.4. CENTERS -- 3.5. HUMAN RESOURCES -- 3.6. FUNDING -- 4 BENCHMARKING RESULTS -- 4.1. APPROACH -- 4.2. ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT LEADERSHIP -- 4.2.1. Biomaterials -- 4.2.2. Ceramics -- 4.2.3. Composites -- 4.2.4. Magnetic Materials -- 4.2.5. Metals -- 4.2.6. Electronic and Optical-Photonic Materials -- 4.2.7. Superconducting Materials -- 4.2.8. Polymers -- 4.2.9. Catalysts -- 5 PROJECTION OF LEADERSHIP DETERMINANTS -- 5.1. OVERVIEW -- 5.2. RECRUITMENT OF TALENTED RESEARCHERS -- 5.3. FUNDING -- 5.4. INFRASTRUCTURE -- 5.5. COOPERATIVE GOVERNMENT-INDUSTRIAL-ACADEMIC RESEARCH -- 6 LIKELY FUTURE POSITIONS -- 6.1. INTRODUCTION -- 6.2. BIOMATERIALS -- 6.3. CERAMICS -- 6.4. COMPOSITES -- 6.5. MAGNETIC MATERIALS -- 6.6. METALS -- 6.7. ELECTRONIC AND OPTICAL-PHOTONIC MATERIALS -- 6.8. SUPERCONDUCTING MATERIALS -- 6.9. POLYMERS -- 6.10. CATALYSTS -- 7 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS -- 7.1. THE UNITED STATES IS AMONG THE WORLD'S LEADERS IN ALL SUBFIELDS, AND IT IS THE LEADER IN SOME.

7.2. THE FLEXIBILITY OF THE ENTERPRISE IS AS MUCH A KEY INDICATOR OF LEADERSHIP AS IS THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING -- 7.3. THE INNOVATION SYSTEM IS A MAJOR DETERMINANT OF US LEADERSHIP -- 7.4. THE UNITED STATES ENJOYS STRENGTH THROUGH INTELLECTUAL AND HUMAN DIVERSITY -- 7.5. SHIFTING FEDERAL AND INDUSTRY FUNDING PRIORITIES, A POTENTIAL REDUCTION IN ACCESS TO FOREIGN TAENT, AND DETERIORATING… -- 8 REFERENCES -- APPENDIX A PANEL AND STAFF BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION -- STAFF -- APPENDIX B BENCHMARKING RESULTS TABLES -- APPENDIX C HOT TOPICS LIST -- BIOMATERIALS -- CERAMICS -- COMPOSITES -- MAGNETIC MATERIALS -- METALS -- ELECTRONIC AND OPTICAL-PHOTONIC MATERIALS -- SUPERCONDUCTING MATERIALS -- POLYMERS -- CATALYSTS.