Hosted by the Materials Council, Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics and the Office of the Executive Vice President for Research

Rationale: The basic and applied materials research needed for the advancement of new materials-based technologies with significant impact requires access to, and development of, a range of state-of-the-art materials characterization tools. While a variety of equipment and facilities for materials analyses exist at Georgia Tech, the lack of a coordinated strategy for the acquisition, maintenance, support, management, training, use, and development of these tools/facilities has led to the perception of deficiencies in the quality and accessibility of advanced materials characterization across campus. A major initiative is proposed to develop a sustainable infrastructure that will propel Georgia Tech into a national and global leadership position in state-of-the-art materials characterization.
Purpose: The purpose of this workshop is to engage a broad cross-section of the Georgia Tech community involved in materials research to address critical issues associated with materials characterization. Among the key issues to be discussed in this Workshop are:
•    Identification of cutting-edge materials characterization tools that are likely to have the most significant, universal, and long-lasting impact on materials research at Georgia Tech
• Development of a sustainable financial model that provides necessary support for the acquisition, maintenance, and development of state-of-the-art characterization tools, while at the same time enabling affordable access to such equipment by a broad cross-section of the Georgia Tech materials community
• Construction and/or retrofitting of a centralized building or buildings specifically designed for optimal use of advanced materials characterization equipment, and for the optimal location of associated technical personnel
• Establishment of a management infrastructure that provides for effective and transparent operation of state-of-the-art materials characterization equipment and facilities
Participation: This workshop is open to the broad materials community at Georgia Tech. To allow for effective planning of this workshop, interested participants are urged to indicate their attendance by responding via e-mail to Kourtnie Robin (kourtnie.robin@ece.gatech.edu) before April 4.