NSF advances sustainable materials solutions and capabilities

NSF's Convergence Accelerator invests $11.5 million on 16 multidisciplinary teams to advance the circular economy.

The NSF is accelerating convergence research across materials discovery and development as well as production and manufacturing to address challenges aligned to the manufacturing, reuse and recycling of critical materials and products.

With a total investment of $11.5 million, 16 Phase 1 multidisciplinary teams have been selected for NSF's Convergence Accelerator program's Track I: Sustainable Materials for Global Challenges.

The world is dependent on critical materials for every aspect of life and work. These materials are integral to energy, infrastructure, healthcare, economic development and national security. Approaches that consider a "circular economy" for materials are essential for the sustainable design of these materials and are intended to capture the full life cycle through their use in applications such as the built environment, semiconductors, polymers, and textiles.

Teams representing the EPSCoR jurisdictions are:

• Revolutionizing the Manufacture of Portland Cement Concretes Towards a Circular and Carbon-negative Future, led by University of ALABAMA
  
  
• Sustainable Materials for Global Challenges: Recycled Textile and Apparel Manufacturing Ecosystems, or RETAME, led by the University of DELAWARE