The Materials Research Institute (MRI) at Penn State University aims to be a global leader in multidisciplinary materials research, materials integration, and education. Our mission is to foster scientific excellence and deliver technological innovations to tackle complex global problems. This strategic plan (2025-2030+) solidifies MRI's role as a cornerstone of Penn State's research enterprise, aligning with university goals for enhancing student success, growing interdisciplinary research excellence, increasing land-grant impact, transforming healthcare, fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and improving operational efficiency.

Guided by faculty and leadership input, MRI has identified six key research areas and critical operational strategies. While grounded in enduring strengths like core facility governance and team-based research support, this plan also identifies new avenues for growth, reaffirming the importance of central support to uphold MRI’s global leadership. Success will be measured by Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) reflecting academic excellence, grant acquisition, and student training and education. This living document will adjust to global and societal needs along with emerging opportunities and funding opportunity changes to maximize the success of the MRI community.

INDEX
A. Research Themes
B. Strategic Infrastructure Needs to Sustain and Invest in Core Facilities
C. Strategic Needs to Develop and Sustain Research Centers
D. Strategic Plan to Cultivate Community, Collaboration, and Research Excellence
E. Supporting Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (2025-2030+)
F. Environment, Safety, and Health
MRI’s DETAILED STRATEGIC PLAN 2025-2030+: Rationale, Guidelines, Priorities, KPI’s, and Implementation
 

The new MRI research themes build upon the foundational strengths identified in the previous strategic plan, such as convergence between life sciences and materials, advanced synthesis, sustainable materials, and AI-assisted design, while also embracing new frontiers in quantum materials, power electronics, and materials for extreme environments. This evolution reflects MRI’s continued commitment to interdisciplinary leadership and global impact, advancing its legacy of core facility excellence, collaborative team science, and innovation at the intersection of disciplines.

  1. Convergence of Life Sciences, Bioengineering, Materials and Devices: Interdisciplinary solutions for healthcare and the environment.
  2. Sustainable Materials and Processes Solutions for Future Industry: Reducing energy consumption and environmental impact through novel materials and recycling.
  3. Materials for Extreme Environments: Developing materials for harsh conditions in aerospace, nuclear, and chemical sectors.
  4. Materials for Artificial Intelligence (AI), Packaging, and Power Electronics: Leveraging strengths in high-performance computing, advanced electronics, and thermal management.
  5. Quantum Materials and Sensing: Combine MRI’s expertise in synthesis, fabrication, characterization, and theory on nanometer scales to discover fundamental mechanisms and materials for quantum information and sensing.
  6. AI Assisted Materials Discovery, Prototyping and Manufacturing: Using AI/machine learning (ML) for intelligent discovery, manufacturing, and process optimization.

MRI's core facilities, Nanofab, MCL, and 2DCC, have long been a cornerstone of Penn State’s leadership in materials research, providing the research community with critical infrastructure for synthesis, fabrication, and characterization. The previous strategic plan emphasized strong core governance, interdisciplinary access, and industrial engagement, and these remain central to MRI’s mission. Building on this strong foundation, the 2025–2030+ strategic plan prioritizes continued investment in cutting-edge equipment, particularly for AI/ML integration, quantum technologies, and next-generation materials for electronics and sustainability. Strategic instrumentation needs will include both maintaining excellence in existing areas and investing in new capabilities to support priority research themes and emerging initiatives. This forward-looking approach ensures that MRI’s core infrastructure remains at the forefront of innovation while supporting inclusive access, industrial partnerships, and interdisciplinary research across Penn State and beyond.

MRI’s previous strategic plan laid the groundwork for a strong ecosystem of research centers, emphasizing the formation of interdisciplinary clusters, support for faculty co-hires, and development of thematic initiatives aligned with national priorities. This approach successfully catalyzed several high-impact centers, such as those focused on energy harvesting, dielectrics, and living materials, positioning Penn State as a leader in convergent, materials-focused research.

Building on this momentum, the 2025–2030+ strategic plan reaffirms the central role of research centers in amplifying MRI's collective faculty impact and expanding national and international visibility. Centers remain essential for fostering collaboration across disciplines and institutions, attracting industrial partnerships, mentoring junior faculty, and enabling Penn State teams to effectively compete for large-scale federal funding. Going forward, MRI will continue to support strong existing centers while actively identifying opportunities to launch new ones in alignment with the updated strategic research themes. 

New initiatives will encourage the formation of "thematic clusters" around federal priorities and grand societal challenges, such as decarbonization, quantum sensing, AI-assisted materials design, and materials for extreme environments. These clusters will serve as dynamic, cross-cutting frameworks that bring together faculty expertise to pursue major interdisciplinary opportunities (e.g., NSF ERC and NSF ENGINE proposals). In this way, the current plan deepens the infrastructure established in the prior strategic cycle while advancing MRI’s commitment to agility, innovation, and translating impact.
 

To cultivate a thriving and interconnected research environment at Penn State, MRI will prioritize meaningful engagement with faculty, staff, students, postdocs, and industry partners. This strategic plan outlines initiatives to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration, foster a supportive and inclusive community, and enhance the infrastructure and services that enable research excellence across the materials ecosystem. Building on the previous strategic plan’s emphasis on interdisciplinary centers, translational research, and engagement through programs like Materials Day and the Millennium Café, this new plan deepens MRI’s commitment to fostering a collaborative culture, expanding support structures, increasing community connectivity, and accelerating innovation across Penn State and beyond. 

MRI aims to lead Penn State in fostering an inclusive and equitable environment for cutting-edge materials research, championing diverse perspectives and promoting belonging among faculty, staff, students, and partners. This commitment extends beyond basic access, complementing OSVPR and Penn State strategic goals. Key initiatives include:
Enhance Equitable Access and Resource Utilization: Ensure all members of the MRI community have transparent and fair access to facilities, resources, and opportunities. This includes optimizing onboarding for new faculty, improving communication about facility use, expanding flexible training options, and actively monitoring access data to identify and address barriers.

Develop efficient communication channels: Clearly communicate facility access criteria and periodically publish anonymized usage data by affiliation. Where possible, get quotes from leading PSU faculty on the merits and advantages of the core facilities within MRI.

Broaden and Deepen Participation Across the Materials Research Ecosystem: Expand engagement of students, postdocs, faculty, and external partners through targeted mentoring, collaborative programs, and partnerships, fostering a more diverse and interconnected materials research community. 
Increase Mentoring and Engagement for Postdoctoral Researchers: Develop dedicated mentorship programs, in collaboration with OSVPR Office of postdoctoral Affairs, and host "Postdoc Cafes" focused on career development. 
Increase Undergraduate Engagement in Research: Implement pilot programs with reduced user fees and establish an "undergraduate student technical support positions in the cores" program for instrument mentoring, sample preparation, data analysis, using development, and proposal opportunities.

Foster Intercollegiate and Cross-Campus Collaboration: Initiate "Commonwealth Campus Research Showcase" and "We Are MRI" webinars to highlight research and encourage collaboration. 
Broaden External Participation: Strengthen connections with Emerging Research Institutions and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), and partner with other institutes on programs like Institutional Program for Democratizing Research (IPDR).

Cultivate an Inclusive and Supportive Community: Foster a sense of belonging and recognition by celebrating inclusive excellence through awards such as the Roy Awards, enhancing the visibility and impact of the MRI Staff Advisory Committee, and formalizing this committee’s staff recognition programs to acknowledge and reward outstanding contributions.

Implement a Faculty Mentoring Program: Formalize mentorship for early career faculty on funding, proposal development, and career advancement.

Foster Community and Connection: Organize informal community-building events (e.g., potlucks), host open forums, and explicitly communicate MRI's commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Enhance Workforce Development and Outreach: Build a strong, diverse pipeline of future materials scientists and engineers by expanding research opportunities, mentorship, and targeted training programs, leveraging MRI’s world-class core facilities to deliver hands-on experiences, and strengthening outreach to industry, academic partners, and the broader community.

Promote Materials Science at Undergraduate Levels: Starting with undergraduate students, build a diverse and robust pipeline of engineers and future scientists through research opportunities, mentorship, and outreach partnerships with academic and community units.

Showcase MRI’s Facilities and Successes: Proactively promote MRI’s capabilities and achievements to industry and academic institutions through targeted outreach and relationship-building, enhancing visibility and fostering new collaborations.
 

Safety is fundamental to all MRI research operations and serves as the cornerstone of our commitment to responsible conduct of research. The MRI serves ~1300 users on-site, providing a safe environment for research. As we prepare the next generation of researchers to develop advanced materials, we prioritize safety education that encompasses both knowledge and practical application. Our user facilities host a diverse community of external collaborators and internal researchers, each requiring specialized training in equipment operation, hazard recognition, and risk mitigation strategies for equipment and personal lab safety. This is done through not only general university training but with supplemental safety education for lab-specific protocols and procedures that empower researchers. Our approach emphasizes creating a culture of safety where researchers not only protect themselves and their colleagues but also consider the broader implications of their work, including how newly developed materials will be safely manufactured, used, and managed throughout their lifecycle. Through mentorship, continuous education, regular safety assessments, and the growing integration of data sciences and AI, we ensure that safety consciousness becomes an integral part of the research mindset, enabling innovative materials development while maintaining the highest standards of protection for people and the environment.