The Materials Genome Initiative, the interplay of experiment, theory and computation

Advances in theoretical, computational and experimental materials science and engineering offer not only the promise to accelerate the pace at which new materials are discovered, but also to reduce the time required to bring new products to market. The so-called Materials Genome Initiative seeks to capitalize on that promise by identifying innovative research paradigms that integrate theory, computation, synthesis, and characterization in manners that, until recently, were not possible. A workshop was held at the National Science Foundation in December of 2013 to identify some of the central challenges and opportunities facing materials research within the context of that initiative. This article summarizes the findings of the workshop, and presents a series of concrete recommendations with the potential to facilitate its implementation. It also provides an overview of timely fundamental, technical and logistical challenges, organized according to distinct classes of materials, whose solution could have significant practical and societal benefits.