{"id":54745,"date":"2026-05-29T12:22:21","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T16:22:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/engineering.jhu.edu\/materials\/?post_type=news&p=54745"},"modified":"2026-05-29T12:22:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T16:22:21","slug":"proposed-convening-of-materials-science-leaders-receives-2026-johns-hopkins-nexus-award-funding","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/engineering.jhu.edu\/materials\/news\/proposed-convening-of-materials-science-leaders-receives-2026-johns-hopkins-nexus-award-funding\/","title":{"rendered":"Proposed convening of materials science leaders receives 2026 Johns Hopkins Nexus Award funding\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

A team led by\u00a0MatSci\u00a0Department Head Michael Kessler\u00a0is planning\u00a0to\u00a0convene\u00a0the\u00a0University Materials Council\u00a0to discuss the future of materials science research and education.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The University Materials Council is\u00a0made up\u00a0of\u00a0roughly\u00a0150\u00a0department heads, chairs, directors, and leaders in materials science from\u00a0universities across\u00a0the\u00a0US, Canada, and Australia.\u00a0Kessler also serves as the chair-elect of the council.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The name of the proposed event is \u201cShaping the Future of Materials Science and Engineering:\u00a0A\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

National Convening of the University Materials Council.\u201d\u00a0It will be held at the\u00a0<\/span>Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center<\/span><\/a>\u00a0in Washington, D.C., and\u00a0it was announced today that the endeavor would receive a Nexus Award\u00a0from the university.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“The Nexus Awards exemplify Johns Hopkins at its\u00a0best – bringing\u00a0together researchers across disciplines to tackle complex challenges with rigor, creativity, and a deep commitment to public impact,” interim provost Lainie Rutkow said in a press release. “At the Hopkins Bloomberg Center, these projects help connect groundbreaking research with the policy conversations and real-world needs shaping our future in Washington and beyond.”\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The award provides up to $100,000\u00a0over the course of a year\u00a0to plan and execute the project. The convening is scheduled for\u00a0the spring of 2027.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs Chair-Elect of the University Materials Council, I am excited to use this award to\u00a0bring together national leaders in the materials science and engineering community to shape a collective vision for the field’s future, and I am proud that Johns Hopkins will serve as the convening ground for that national conversation,\u201d said Kessler.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Twenty-seven other\u00a0convening, research, and teaching\u00a0projects\u00a0based at the\u00a0<\/span>Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center<\/span><\/a>\u00a0were chosen to receive the award.\u00a0The projects span every academic division of the university\u00a0and include more than 100 scholars\u00a0studying things like\u00a0AI in transportation, rare disease therapies, research in art history, and public-private-university partnerships for American space leadership.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“In the nearly three years since we opened the doors to our Hopkins Bloomberg Center, our 118 Nexus awardees have been instrumental to realizing its founding aspirations as a hub for interdisciplinary convenings, groundbreaking cross-divisional research, and exemplary teaching,” said\u00a0<\/span>Ron Daniels<\/span><\/a>, president of Johns Hopkins University.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“In Hopkins’ 150th year, we are thrilled to support a fourth class of Nexus Award winners, who continue to fulfill the promise of this building by inspiring discovery and making a public and meaningful impact on the urgent issues of our time.”<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Kessler said the main thrust of the conference will be to bring together department leaders across academia, leaders at federal agencies,\u00a0industry\u00a0and the policy community\u00a0to hammer out\u00a0a shared vision\u00a0of\u00a0materials science research and education going into the future and how to work together\u00a0towards that goal.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Other 2026 Nexus Award recipients include:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Convening<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n