Challenges for the Chemical Sciences in the 21st Century

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ABSTRACTCTS-9908440Raber, D. J.The Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology (BCST) will organize a series of five workshops to carry out a survey of the current status of the chemical sciences, including both chemistry and chemical engineering as well as the interfaces with other disciplines such physics, materials science, and the biological sciences. The study will assess the trends across this board field and identify key opportunities and challenges. Each workshop will focus on one of the areas defined in the BCST's 1992 report, Critical Technologies: Role of the Chemistry and Chemical Engineering: materials and manufacturing; energy and transportation; public health; information and communications; and environment. Each workshop will address common themes, including: discovery, interfaces, challenges, and infrastructure. As part of exploration of interfaces with other areas of science and technology, the workshops will evaluate ways that new developments at these frontiers will create challenges and opportunities in the core disciplinary areas of the chemical sciences. In addition to separate reports from the five workshops, a brief overview report will be prepare to integrate the findings into a single, cohesive documents and ensure that a balanced perspective of the full range of the chemical sciences is provided. These reports will help to develop a sound scientific basis for decision making by those who will determine the nature and magnitude of funding for chemical sciences and technology and will enable scientific investigators to focus their efforts and strategies in areas where they expect the greatest returns.