Fiscal Year 2026
Solar Energy Harvesting and Conversion
This initiative is working to integrate photovoltaic, photodetectors, and related devices into materials-related research; energize research in these areas; and consolidate the expertise of the many research groups working on or around photovoltaics/ photodetectors.
Lead: Juan-Pablo Correa-Baena
In-Body Networks of Electronic Therapeutics
A new form of wireless communication that enables a wearable patch to communicate with ingested and implanted devices regardless of their location in the body without the need for large electronic components or energy sources. The goal is for the development of previously impossible minimally invasive electronic therapeutic devices such as ingestible insulin pumps and triggerable neurostimulation systems.
Program Lead: Alex Abramson
Compressed Super-Resolution TEM Using Nanoelectronic Coded Aperture Device
This research focuses on investigating the dynamics of nanoscale objects in their native liquid environment, from synthetic colloidal nanomachines to biological macromolecules, using liquid phase transmission electron microscopy. The goal is to develop experimental and computational tools to visualize and characterize dynamic behavior (equilibrium and non-equilibrium) at small length scales and in real-time.
Lead: Vida Jamali
Fiscal Year 2025
Electrochemical Manufacturing of Materials and Resource Recovery
Advances electrochemical routes for manufacturing and for recovering critical materials, bridging fundamental science and industrial practice.
Lead: Hailong Chen (ME)
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Precision Agriculture in Controlled Environments (PACE)
Develops new paradigms for managing light, water, and nutrients to enable high‑value agriculture in controlled environments.
Leads: Antonio Facchetti & Anju Toor (MSE); Yongsheng Chen (CEE)
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Adaptive Biomacromolecular and Cellular Networks
Builds interdisciplinary frameworks to understand and engineer adaptive behaviors in biomacromolecular assemblies and cellular systems.
Leads: Anant Paravastu (ChBE); Vinayak Agarwal and Andrew McShan (Chem & Biochem); Itamar Kolvin (Physics)
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Multifunctional Materials for Efficient Buildings
Pursues materials‑to‑systems approaches (from components to whole‑building integration) to reduce energy use and improve sustainability across homes, commercial spaces, and data centers.
Lead: Akanksha Menon (ME)
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Fiscal Year 2024
Metamaterials for National Security
Investigates engineered materials with tailored electromagnetic/mechanical properties to address security and defense applications.
Lead: Margaret Kosal
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Waste Materials Processing
Develops novel techniques to process, valorize, and recover value from waste streams using materials and photonic methods.
Leads: Ebenezer Fanijo (Building Construction), David Citrin (ECE)
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Microscale Thermal Tech for Sustainability
Integrates human thermal perception, design futuring, and systems analysis to create thermal technologies that improve sustainability and climate resilience.
Leads: Noura Howell (LMC), Joe Bozeman (CEE)
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Sports Research, Innovation, and Technology (SPRINT)
Connects academic researchers with Athletics to accelerate sports technology, performance analytics, and human‑centric innovations.
Lead: Jud Ready (GTRI)
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Incentivizing Breakthrough Science
Studies policy and incentive structures that catalyze high‑risk, high‑reward research and scientific innovation.
Leads: Usha Nair‑Reichert (Economics), Richard Barke (Public Policy)
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Matter and Information
Explores how information theory, computation, and materials interact—linking physical matter and digital information for new computing paradigms.
Lead: Florian Schäfer (CSE)
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