Materials Research Science and Engineering Center

*非技术摘要*哈佛MRSEC专注于高度协作的多学科研究，参与者来自全校五个系。该中心的首要目标是进行变革性研究，显著提高软物质科学几个领域的知识水平，并培养材料科学和工程方面的下一代领导者。MRSEC有三个跨学科小组，专注于软材料的极大变形，创造用于3D打印的新材料，以及创造新形式的软机器。该中心的一个重要贡献是增加了各级科学参与者的多样性，从本科生到研究生和博士后到教职员工。哈佛MRSEC还赞助了一系列强有力的活动，与更广泛的科学界和广大公众分享其科学的兴奋之处。通过将软物质科学与烹饪相结合，该中心通过将科学与著名厨师的演讲相结合的公开讲座系列来引起人们的兴奋；这些讲座也被发布在网上，拥有狂热的追随者，视频已经吸引了超过150万的点击量。MRSEC还在制定特别倡议，将回国的退伍军人带入STEM领域。通过为共享的实验设施汇集资源，MRSEC支持更广泛的研究工作。由此产生的团队合作使中心能够解决规模更大的问题，并产生真正具有变革性的结果。MRSEC为高度协作的多学科研究设定了卓越的标准。*技术摘要*哈佛MRSEC支持在软物质科学的几个领域进行高度协作的跨学科研究。这些包括研究软材料在极大变形下的特性；开发创建不同类别的软材料并将其快速转换为3D功能结构所必需的基础知识；以及开发软的、非线性的不稳定弹性材料的科学，并使用这些材料不稳定性来开发具有高价值性能且成本较低的设备。该中心还支持种子项目，以实现对新发展的快速反应；目前，该中心支持开发坚韧面料的努力，以引起回国退伍军人的兴趣，该组织是MRSEC的目标群体，以帮助融入STEM职业生涯。MRSEC建立了创新和创业文化，通过产业伙伴关系和成立许多初创公司来增强国民经济的竞争力，直接基于NSF的支持创造了350多个新的高科技工作岗位。哈佛MRSEC的毕业生继续成为材料科学和工程领域的领军人物，无论是在国内还是在国际上。

****Nontechnical abstract****The Harvard MRSEC focuses on highly collaborative multidisciplinary research with participants drawn from five departments across the university. The overarching goal of the Center is to perform transformative research that significantly advances the state of knowledge in several areas of soft matter science, and to educate the next generation of leaders in materials science and engineering. The MRSEC has three interdisciplinary groups focused on very large deformations in soft materials, creating new materials for 3D printing and creating novel forms of soft machines. An essential contribution of the Center is to increase diversity of participants in its science at all levels, from undergraduate through graduate and postdoctoral to faculty. The Harvard MRSEC also sponsors a robust suite of activities to share the excitement of its science with the broader scientific community, and with the public at large. By combining soft matter science with cooking the Center elicits exhilaration through a public lecture series that combines science with talks by famous chefs; these are also posted online where there is an avid following, with the videos already attracting over 1.5M hits. The MRSEC is also developing special initiatives to bring returning veterans into STEM fields. By pooling resources for shared experimental facilities, the MRSEC supports a more extensive research effort. The resultant teamwork enables the Center to address problems that are larger in scale, and to produce results that are truly transformative. The MRSEC sets a standard of excellence for highly collaborative, multidisciplinary research. ****Technical abstract****The Harvard MRSEC supports highly collaborative, interdisciplinary research in several areas of soft matter science. These include investigations of the properties of soft materials subjected to very large deformations; development of fundamental knowledge essential to create and rapidly transform diverse classes of soft materials into 3D functional architectures; and development of the science of soft, non-linear unstable elastomeric materials and the use of these material instabilities to develop devices with high-value performance at lower cost. The Center also supports seed projects to enable rapid response to new developments; currently it supports an effort in developing tough fabrics to elicit interest among returning veterans, a group targeted by the MRSEC to help integrate into STEM careers. The MRSEC establishes a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, enhancing the competitiveness of the national economy through industrial partnerships and formation of numerous start-up companies, creating more than 350 new high-tech jobs based directly on NSF support. Graduates of the Harvard MRSEC continue to be leaders in materials science and engineering, both nationally and internationally.