Partial Support of the Solid State Sciences Committee

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This award will help support the work of the Solid States Sciences Committee (SSSC). The Solid State Sciences Committee, a standing committee of the National Research Council, responds to requests from federal agencies for scientific assessments in the fields of condensed matter physics, solid-state chemistry, electronic materials, metallurgy, polymers, and the basic materials science aspects of ceramics. Ad hoc panels carry out these assessments. The results, published as NRC reports by the National Academies Press, identify areas of special scientific opportunity and treat various issues such as the role of scientific instrumentation, facilities, and other aspects of infrastructure. The reports are used by the federal agencies in making decisions about research programs and facilities that make experimental work in this field possible. As a non-profit organization chartered by the federal government, the National Academies provides advice to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine. These services are rendered primarily through the meetings of groups of scientific experts who volunteer their time and energy to analyze sets of issues and make recommendations about key decisions. Support from federal agencies enables the Academies to convene these groups. This award will help support the work of the Solid States Sciences Committee (SSSC). Within the National Academies, the SSSC serves as a standing steward for solid-state science. This field of science is important to the nation because of its two-fold role: it underpins modern technology such as computers, superconductors, and lasers, and it strives to address some of the most compelling questions about the nature of the world around us. The SSSC engages in several different activities to carry out is mission: it holds regular meetings to discuss challenges and opportunities facing the field; it convenes small workshops and symposia to highlight or explore new areas of science; and it oversees projects that address specific questions raised by government agencies.