Be Part of the Solution: Sustainable Materials for Global Challenges, The NSF Convergence Accelerator

Today's grand challenges will not be solved by one discipline working alone. Grand challenges require convergence. The goal of the NSF Convergence Accelerator is to accelerate scientific discoveries toward solutions that have societal impact by working across disciplines and across sectors. The objective of Track I, “Sustainable Materials for Global Challenges,” is to converge advances in fundamental materials science with materials, process and device design and manufacturing methods for the development of environmentally and economically sustainable materials and products. Current materials production is on a trajectory that is not sustainable for human or planet health. Every material we make, the process by which we manufacture it and the energy it consumes during its lifetime, must be considered carefully. While we are being pushed for ever increasing advances in performance, we are dealing with the finite resources of one planet and the potential for further constraints due to geopolitical instability. Environmental sustainability is becoming equated with economic competitiveness and national security.

Furthermore, the industry as a whole is predicting huge shortages in the workforce needed to grow this industry by the projected amounts. One way to attract and retain new people to this field is to find the intersection with climate/environment and semiconductor design and manufacturing. Today, people are concerned about the environment and want to be part of the solution.

This is an enormous opportunity for the semiconductor industry value chain to lead much-needed transformation that has the potential to positively affect other industries, especially in areas such as PFAS. These challenges also present opportunities for entrepreneurs. How do we create an environment that engages cooperation with start-ups? How do we create platforms where students, faculty and entrepreneurs can bring their innovation to the industry by working closer to what is relevant for industry. Start-ups can challenge the status quo – create a vision for a different future where exponential growth does not lead to overwhelming waste and negative impacts for the environment and human health. We can’t recycle our way out – we need to design things differently. What does that future look like for you?