The U.S. National Science and Technology Council’s Subcommittee on the Materials Genome Initiative released for public comment a draft of its first strategic plan, to serve as a roadmap for Federal agencies as they execute on the initiative vision going forward.
In June 2011, President Obama launched the Materials Genome Initiative (MGI) to help manufacturers develop and deploy new materials faster and more economically. What began with a modest investment by four federal agencies has now expanded to include participation by a wide range of public and private stakeholders, including universities, companies, professional societies, and federal agencies.
At the Federal level, MGI is managed within the framework of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), the Cabinet-level council that coordinates science and technology across the Federal government. The Subcommittee on the Materials Genome Initiative (SMGI), under the NSTC Committee on Technology, coordinates Federal efforts in support of the goals of MGI and identifies policies that will accelerate deployment of advanced materials. The SMGI includes representatives from each agency participating in MGI.
The SMGI developed the strategic plan to outline the near-term steps the Federal government will take to achieve the vision put forth by MGI. The plan spells out four strategic goals and the near-term milestones necessary to meet them. It also describes material-specific challenges identified by experts from the materials science and engineering communities who were convened in two Grand Challenge Summits held in 2013. In keeping with the initial vision, the experimental and computational tools and scientific cultural evolution emerging from MGI are expected to help overcome these challenges as well as others that will emerge in the future, contributing to the President’s directive for more rapid discovery and deployment of advanced materials. The SMGI is seeking public comment on the strategic plan in advance of finalizing the document for publication.
Response to this request for public comment is voluntary. Responses exceeding 500 words will not be considered; please reference page and line numbers, as appropriate. Also be aware that your comments may be posted online. OSTP therefore requests that no business proprietary information, copyrighted information, confidential, or personally identifiable information be submitted.
To comment, please email [email protected] with “MGI Strategic Plan—Public Comment” in the subject line. Or fax responses to 202.456.6027, Attn: Meredith Drosback. Responses may also be mailed to Meredith Drosback, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Eisenhower Executive Office Building, 1650 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20504.
Responses must be received by July 21, 2014 to be considered.
