Materials Research Science and Engineering Center

非技术摘要：哈佛MRSEC专注于尖端材料研究，研究软质和易变形的材料，如凝胶、聚合物和胶体悬浮液。软材料被广泛应用于从柔性电子设备到生物医学设备的各种应用中。该中心由两个跨学科研究小组IRGS组成。IRG 1将在材料合成、建模和3D打印方面取得根本性进展，从而能够创造出增强人类性能的功能性软材料。感知、驱动和通信的新型软材料将被开发用于可穿戴设备、触觉接口和人造肌肉，以加强人类技术前沿的未来工作，即卓越的未来机器人。IRG 2将对受到远离平衡的扰动的机械软系统的行为产生新的见解。通过将丰富的数据实验、理论和人工智能相结合，这项研究将通过将数据革命的应用扩展到软材料，为驾驭数据革命做出巨大贡献。该中心的一个重要贡献是通过与少数群体服务机构的密切合作，包括与一所部落学院的开创性伙伴关系，增加材料科学参与者的多样性。该中心还促进独特和非常成功的倡议，将回国的退伍军人带入STEM领域。通过打造新的科学方向，该中心专注于解开软材料中的复杂现象，目的是将这些进展转化为造福社会的成果。技术摘要：哈佛MRSEC支持软物质科学前沿的高度协作的多学科研究。该中心的研究活动分为两个跨学科研究小组。第一个研究小组专注于在多个尺度上对功能性软物质进行预测性设计和可编程组装，这些软物质对外部刺激做出感知、激励和交流。第二个研究组通过数据丰富的实验、机器学习和理论相结合的方式，重点研究远离平衡的扰动下的机械软系统中的非平衡现象。MRSEC还支持种子项目，以实现对新发现的快速反应。该中心通过其强大的导师和充满活力的教育和外展伙伴关系和活动团队，为本科生、研究生和博士后研究员提供严谨的智力和广泛的培训。MRSEC培养创新和创业文化，通过广泛的行业合作和成立许多直接基于NSF支持的新的高科技工作岗位来提高国民经济的竞争力。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Nontechnical Abstract: The Harvard MRSEC focuses on cutting edge materials research, investigating materials such as gels, polymers, and colloidal suspensions that are soft and easily deformable. Soft materials are widely used in applications ranging from flexible electronics to biomedical devices. The Center consists of two interdisciplinary research groups, IRGs. IRG 1 will yield fundamental advances in materials synthesis, modeling, and 3D printing that enable the creation of functional soft materials that augment human performance. New classes of soft materials that sense, actuate, and communicate will be developed for use in wearables, haptic interfaces, and artificial muscles to enhance Future Work at the Human-Technology Frontier, namely, for superior future robotics. IRG 2 will yield new insights regarding the behavior of mechanically soft systems that are subjected to perturbations far from equilibrium. By combining data-rich experiments, theory, and artificial intelligence, the research will contribute greatly to Harnessing the Data Revolution by expanding its application to soft materials. An essential contribution of the Center is to increase the diversity of participants in materials science through close collaborations with minority-serving institutions, including a ground-breaking partnership with a Tribal College. The Center also fosters unique and highly successful initiatives that bring returning veterans into STEM fields. By forging new scientific directions, the Center focuses on unraveling complex phenomena in soft materials with the goal of translating these advances to benefit society. Technical Abstract: The Harvard MRSEC supports highly collaborative, multidisciplinary research at the forefront of soft matter science. The Center’s research activities are organized into two interdisciplinary research groups. The first research group focuses on the predictive design and programmable assembly of functional soft matter across multiple scales that sense, actuate, and communicate in response to external stimuli. The second research group focuses on the non-equilibrium phenomena in mechanically soft systems subjected to perturbations far from equilibrium through a combination of data-rich experiments, machine learning, and theory. The MRSEC also supports seed projects to enable rapid response to emerging discoveries. The Center provides intellectual rigor and broad training to undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows through its strong mentorship and vibrant cadre of educational and outreach partnerships and activities. The MRSEC fosters a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, enhancing the competitiveness of the national economy through extensive industrial collaborations and formation of numerous start-up companies creating new high-tech jobs based directly on NSF support.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.