Interdisciplinary, collaborative and innovative, the MRL is one of the most productive research centers in the world. The MRL operates as an “open” laboratory with shared resources and spaces creating an environment where dialogue can lead to discovery.
Interdisciplinary, collaborative and innovative, the MRL is one of the most productive research centers in the world. The MRL operates as an “open” laboratory with shared resources and spaces creating an environment where dialogue can lead to discovery. By actively engaging in productive partnerships with industry, the MRL has proven to be an economic engine here and around the world. The MRL community is dedicated to inspiring a new age of scientific achievement in the United States through collaborative research and outreach to industry, thereby serving as a catalyst to transform people’s lives.
These collaborations have, and will continue to significantly impact both the research and educational mission of the MRL. A range of initiatives include: establishing joint research programs and exchanges to enhance the research experience of our students and and post-docs; facilitating industrial interactions through use of the MRL facilities; stimulating interactions with Industry and National Labs that promote MRL/UCSB activities and capabilities in the broadest sense, and; enhancing unrestricted financial support of MRL research programs and to establish graduate fellowships.
Highlights of these activities include:
This annual program is held in early February to showcase the materials research capabilities of UCSB. The MROP has evolved from a polymer-focused program to a broad materials-themed event over the past 6 years, and features a combination of “latest and greatest” research presentations by UCSB senior students, post-docs, and faculty as well as featured guest speakers from Industry and National Laboratories
We actively seek unrestricted gift support from Industry and National Labs to leverage the NSF funding of the IRG and Seed projects and to collaboratively bring this cutting-edge research to the marketplace. The high profile of the MRL and the excellence of the research programs, combined with the annual MROP event and other technology outreach efforts, have proven extremely successful. This impact has also led to the establishment of the Mitsubishi Chemical Center for Advanced Materials (MC-CAM) at UCSB, the Dow Materials Institute and the Complex Fluids Design Consortium (CFDC) which is described below.
The CFDC is an MRL initiative to create an academic-Industry-National Laboratory partnership aimed at developing computational tools for designing soft materials and complex fluid formulations. The tools are based on the field-theoretic models and computer simulation techniques developed by Professor Glenn Fredrickson, the CFDC Director. An annual meeting of the CFDC is held in conjunction with our Materials Research Outreach Program.
Initiated in 1999 to annually showcase MRL research to our Industrial and Venture partners, the Materials Research Outreach Program has evolved into so much more. In addition to providing a wonderful opportunity to interface with our corporate colleagues, the MROP has emerged as the principal occasion to hear about and share UCSB research in the broad Materials arena. The MROP has traditionally encouraged many newly-joined faculty members from a cross-section of UCSB Departments to showcase their research vision, leading to the nucleation of numerous collaborations. In recent years, with support from the University of California Office of the President (UCOP), efforts to involve colleagues from other California Universities and UC Labs have been initiated as well. Finally, the MROP has become an integral part of the undergraduate and graduate education, and post-doctoral experience of literally hundreds of students and fellows from Science and Engineering Departments on this campus.
The Materials Research Outreach Program also showcases the Cheetham Lecturer, an annual award honoring a scientist who has made significant contributions to materials research with industrial applications.
No matter which category best fits you, please feel welcome to attend the Materials Research Outreach Program, and thank you for your continued support. We hope you enjoy the MROP as much as we do.