Cornell Center for Materials Research

Cornell Center for Materials Research
Name	Cornell Center for Materials Research
Established	1972
Research fields	Materials science, Nanotechnology, Solid-state physics, Chemistry
Director	Andrew M. Rappe
Location	Ithaca, New York
Affiliation	Cornell University

Cornell Center for Materials Research is a multidisciplinary research center at Cornell University focused on materials synthesis, characterization, and theory. The Center serves as a hub linking faculty from departments such as Department of Materials Science and Engineering (Cornell University), Department of Physics (Cornell University), and Department of Chemistry (Cornell University), and it interfaces with regional and national facilities like National Science Foundation, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and Department of Energy. Its portfolio spans experimental, computational, and educational initiatives, supporting faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and students across colleges including College of Engineering (Cornell University) and College of Arts and Sciences (Cornell University).

History

The Center traces roots to materials research programs at Cornell University in the 1960s and was formally established in the early 1970s during a period marked by federal investment from agencies such as the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy. Early decades saw collaborations with national laboratories including Brookhaven National Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory, and connections to major projects like the development of semiconductor technology influenced by work at Bell Labs and IBM Research. Key historical milestones involved advances in electron microscopy linked to inventions at FEI Company and theoretical contributions resonant with the work of scholars associated with Bell Labs and Los Alamos National Laboratory. Over time the Center expanded facilities, integrating instruments similar to those at National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure sites and aligning with initiatives from the Materials Research Society and the American Physical Society.

Organization and Governance

Governance follows a university-based model with oversight from deans of entities such as the College of Engineering (Cornell University) and advisory input from external members drawn from institutions like MIT, Stanford University, Harvard University, Princeton University, and University of California, Berkeley. The directorate typically includes faculty principal investigators from departments including Department of Materials Science and Engineering (Cornell University), School of Applied and Engineering Physics (Cornell University), and Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering. Operational structure features cores and facilities managed by staff with backgrounds from places like Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories, and committees coordinate with federal program officers from the National Science Foundation and program managers at the Department of Energy.

Research Areas and Facilities

Research emphasizes areas such as nanomaterials, two-dimensional materials, superconductivity, spintronics, biomaterials, and energy materials, drawing intellectual lineage from discoveries at Bell Labs, theoretical frameworks from Princeton University and MIT, and experimental methods akin to those at Argonne National Laboratory. Core facilities include transmission electron microscopy suites comparable to those at Brookhaven National Laboratory and synthesis labs for chemical vapor deposition influenced by techniques developed at IBM Research. The Center provides access to instrumentation used in research comparable to work at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, such as X‑ray diffraction, electron microscopy, scanning probe microscopy, and cleanrooms equipped for lithography similar to Cornell Nanoscale Facility. Research outputs intersect with topics explored at conferences hosted by the Materials Research Society, American Chemical Society, and American Physical Society.

Education and Outreach

Educational programs coordinate graduate and undergraduate training with departments including Department of Materials Science and Engineering (Cornell University), School of Applied and Engineering Physics (Cornell University), and College of Arts and Sciences (Cornell University), and link to university initiatives like the Cornell Undergraduate Research Board and summer programs inspired by national models such as the Research Experiences for Undergraduates. Outreach includes workshops for K–12 engagement modeled after activities from the National Science Teachers Association and public lectures featuring scholars who have affiliations with Harvard University, Stanford University, and University of Cambridge. The Center supports training that has produced awardees of honors like the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and fellowships associated with institutions such as NSF and the DOE Office of Science Graduate Student Research Program.

Collaborations and Partnerships

The Center maintains partnerships with academic institutions including Columbia University, Yale University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Chicago; national laboratories such as Brookhaven National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory; and industry partners drawn from corporations like Intel, IBM, Corning Incorporated, and Applied Materials. It participates in consortia affiliated with the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure and works with foundations such as the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the Simons Foundation. Collaborative projects often involve cross-disciplinary teams with ties to research networks at MIT, Stanford University, Harvard University, Princeton University, and international partners including University of Cambridge and ETH Zurich.

Funding and Awards

Funding is secured from federal agencies including the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, and National Institutes of Health, as well as from industry-sponsored research agreements with firms such as Intel and Corning Incorporated. The Center has supported investigators who have received major honors from organizations like the Materials Research Society, American Physical Society, and American Chemical Society, and individual faculty have been recipients of national recognitions including MacArthur Fellowship, National Medal of Science, and fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. Internal seed grants and shared‑instrument awards have enabled high-impact publications that contribute to the scientific agendas of entities such as NSF and DOE.

Category:Cornell University