Advanced Materials
The basic properties of materials frequently define the capabilities, potential, and limitations of technology. Improved materials and processes will play an increasing role in efforts to improve energy efficiency, promote environmental protection, develop information and communications systems, and provide modern and reliable transportation and civil infrastructure. Advances in materials research enable progress to be made across a broad range of scientific and engineering disciplines and technological areas with dramatic impacts on society.
Continued progress in materials research is increasingly dependent upon collaborative efforts among several different disciplines, as well as closer coordination among funding agencies and effective partnerships involving universities, industry, and national laboratories. In addition, because of the growing interdependence of the world's economies, partnerships are important not only at the national level but also from an international point of view as well.
Materials Research in Israel
Research and development activities in the technology and science of materials is carried out in Israel in research institutes, research centers and in institutions of higher learning, some of which have even recognized the need to establish separate departments in this field. This alone testifies to the importance of the field and the great potential for its development and consolidation, as well as its contribution to industry and society in Israel.
The Ministry of Science and Technology declared as one of its major goals the advancement and support of research and development of novel technologies. This includes Materials and Chemical Technologies – technologies with a tangible potential for the development of future industrial, environmental, or agricultural products and applications, which will compliment and replace the older generations. This objective can be attained by strategic infrastructure oriented (tashtiti) research, which is necessary for a real-life pragmatic program implementing the scientific results in industrial R&D. This will shorten the time span between the state of scientific inspiration and the stage of maturity.
Strategic Research
The National Committee of Experts for Scientific and Technological Strategic Research in the area of Advanced Materials and Chemical Technologies has decided to focus on areas within the field which meet qualitative, economic and industrial criteria. These areas are at the forefront of global know-how, and can be carried out in Israel on the basis of interdisciplinary, inter-institutional cooperation. The areas chosen are closely related to basic research and have potential for application in the developing materials industry in Israel. They are therefore capable of improving Israel's position in the competitive world market. The areas that have been chosen include: Nano-structured Materials and Nano Chemistry, Functional Materials, Polymeric Alloys, Advanced Ceramics, Hard Coatings, Intelligent Processing, Biomaterials and Biomimetics, Energy Conversion and Storage Materials, Chemical Catalysis, Electrochemistry and Environmentally Friendly Selective Synthetic Processes.
The abovementioned policy has been implemented through the publication of Calls for Proposals for strategic research projects, and Calls for Applications for Ph.D. and post-doc fellowships in the areas recommended by the National Committee. Project proposals and fellowship applications received in response to the Calls pass through a comprehensive review by senior scientists' reviewing committee. Approved projects and fellowships are normally funded by the Ministry for a period of three years.
Within the framework of the strategic research program only, the Ministry has funded until now 51 research projects in the fields of Advanced Materials and Chemical Technologies and bestowed over 100 of the prestigious Eshkol scholarships for Ph.D. students and post-docs – with a total budget exceeding 100 million NIS. In addition, a KnowledgeCenter for Fuel Cells and Energy Storage and Conversion has been established in Both Tel-Aviv and Bar-Ilan universities as a joint entity. This strategic infrastructure program gives forth significant fruits.
International Programs
The Ministry of Science and Technology maintains scientific cooperation agreements with about 30 countries in the world. Within this framework, joint research programs in Materials and Chemical Technologies are carried out with Germany, U.S.A., France, Japan, India, South Korea, and China. In addition, these agreements enable implementing programs for exchanging scientific researchers and for holding joint workshops and conferences. The links and cooperation agreements of the Ministry of Science and Technology are expressed by the following:
· Forming steady, working-relations with distinguished scientists in countries that are leaders in the world of science;
· Gaining access to special equipment which is not available in Israel;
· Gaining access to foreign funding sources.