Workshop on International

Collaboration and Networking

Workshop Organizers
R.P.H. Chang, Northwestern University
Miguel Yacaman, University of Texas Austin

August 28, 2001

Cancun, Mexico

Sponsored by

The National Science Foundation

Opening Remarks, Workshop on International Collaboration & Networking

August 28, 2001

Welcome to the Workshop on International Collaboration and Networking. This workshop

is supported by the NSF.

Modern transportation and communication have brought the people around the world much
closer as a global family. Researchers and educators now have the responsibility of
working together to improve the quality of life for all citizens of the world.

The IUMRS, established 10 years ago, is working to facilitate collaboration. It co-

sponsors technical meeting every year around the world.

During the past 6 years the NSF has sponsored a series of international workshops around
the world designed to identify key components and resources needed to enhance global
collaborations. Reports have already been published, which identify the need to improve
networking and communication.

Prof. R.P.H. Chang

 Workshop Summary

The Workshop on International Collaboration and Networking was held at the

International Union of Materials Research Societies-International Conference on Advanced
Materials (IUMRS-ICAM) event in Cancun, Mexico on August 28, 2001. Chaired by
professors R.P.H. Chang (Northwestern University) and Miguel Yacaman (University of
Texas–Austin), the event sought to lay the foundation for building a network of materials
researchers around the world. The workshop was supported by the National Science
Foundation (NSF) of the United States.

Attendance throughout the day ranged from 40-80 people. The following countries were
represented: Brazil, Canada, China, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Singapore,
Taiwan, and the United States. (An attendance list is included as Appendix I.)

Background: The NSF has cosponsored a series of international workshops to help

stimulate enhanced collaboration among materials researchers and create networks linking
the participating countries:

• U.S.-Africa Materials Workshop, South Africa, August 2000, representatives from

the United States and African countries.
• U.S.-Asian Pacific Materials Research, Technology, and Education for the 21st
Century in Service of Society, Hawaii, November 1998, participants from the
United States and Asian Pacific countries.
• Frontiers in Materials Research, Technology and Education: A Workshop to
Advance Pan-American Collaboration, Brazil, June 1998, participants from the
United States and Pan American countries, including Brazil, Argentina, Chile,
Uruguay, and Venezuela.
• Workshop on Materials for Future Technologies, Belgium, December 1996, a joint
National Science Foundation-European Commission venture.
• Trilateral Materials Workshop, Mexico, May 1995, researchers from the United
States, Canada, and Mexico.
• A sixth workshop involving the Middle East countries is being planned for 2002.

These workshops identified possible areas for mutually beneficial collaborations. They
also led to the recommendation that extensive use be made of electronic communication,
information exchange, and databases to promote and facilitate research collaborations and
educational activities. The Collaboration and Networking Workshop in Cancun sought to
elaborate upon the recommendations of these meetings. (Full reports of the meetings can
be found at http://www.iumrs.org/workshop.html.)

Nanotechnology Theme: Nanotechnology was chosen as the theme for the workshop.
The organizers determined to build on the enthusiasm engendered by recent developments
in the nanoscience field, although the participants were committed to applying their ideas
to the broader interdisciplinary field of materials.
Researchers from six countries presented updates on the state of nanotechnology projects
in their countries. Representatives of funding agencies and policy institutions described
the context in which research is undertaken. In other words, the presentations described
both the infrastructure for and implementation of nanotechnology programs. These
presentations were the basis of discussions about how a worldwide network can serve a
range of interests. Professor Chang demonstrated one model, the “International Virtual
Institute,” which included online laboratories and virtual offices.

Each speaker reported some level of investment and planning in nanotechnology. The
participants described programs that ranged from heavy investment in nanotechnology to
identifying a strategy of investment.

Following the presentations, the participants divided into breakout groups, which discussed
issues related to expanding opportunities for international networking. The groups also
contemplated how the infrastructure to support such a network should develop.

Although by the end of the day, the participants had agreed that easy and free access to
information could have a significant impact on the success of materials research and the
likelihood of international collaborative projects, there were various opinions about the
best way to proceed with the formation of a network. A summary of the breakout group
discussions follows below.

Keynote Speaker, Dr. Mihail Roco

Dr. Roco is Senior Advisor at the National Science Foundation and Chairs the National
Science and Technology Council's subcommittee on Nanoscale Science, Engineering and
Technology at the White House. He is the key architect of the U.S. National
Nanotechnology Initiative. Dr. Roco provided an overview of nanotechnology initiatives
and investment strategies for most major regions and countries of the world.

Panel: International Collaboration and National Nanotechnology Policies of Various

Countries

The organizers solicited reports from each major world region, with the exception of
Africa. Dr. Adriaan de Graaf, who had recently returned from a planning meeting in
Kenya, described recent developments toward the formation of an African Materials
Research Society. Dr. de Graaf is the Executive Officer in the Math and Physical Science
directorate of the National Science Foundation (NSF, www.nsf.gov) of the United States.
He described the structure of the NSF and emphasized the importance of including all
regions of the world in a “Materials World Network.”

Gabriel Crean spoke about the various initiatives within the European Community. Prof.
Crean is the Director of the National Microelectronics Research Center (NMRC,
www.nmrc.ie) in Cork, Ireland.

Celso Melo is the Director of the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e

Tecnológico (CNPq, www.cpnq.br) in Brazil. Dr. Melo is in charge of setting up a
Brazilian network of scientists interested in nanoscience and nanotechnology. As a
consequence of this work, CNPq has recently announced a call for proposals to establish
three Brazilian competence networks in different sub-areas of nanoscience and
nanotechnology. (See the Portuguese version of the call for proposal at www.cnpq.br).
Dr. Melo’s presentation can be found in Appendix II.

Danielle Ménard is the Director in the Physical and Mathematical Sciences division of the
Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC, www.nserc.ca).
Her presentation can be found in Appendix II.

Li Ming is the Vice Director of the Department of Engineering and Science at the National
Natural Science Foundation (NNSF, www.nsfc.gov.cn) of China.

Akio Nishijima represented the International Affairs Department of the National Institute
of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST, www.aist.go.jp). Dr. Nishijima
explained that AIST is an independent administrative institute, although it was formerly
part of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (MITI), a division of the Government
of Japan. He described Japan’s strategy in nanoscience industries. His presentation is in
Appendix II.

Maw-Kuen Wu is the Vice-Chairman of The National Science Council (www.nsc.gov.tw)

in Taiwan.

Infrastructure Development

The development of a supporting infrastructure is part and parcel of furthering

international research collaborations and networking. The NSF-sponsored international
workshops referred to above have yielded incredibly similar recommendations with regard
to the need to develop a shared standardized network among materials researchers and
others. Based on those recommendations and ongoing discussions with colleagues around
the world, Prof. Chang has assembled a team at Northwestern University to develop a
“Materials World Net.”

The goal of the Materials World Net is to unite materials scientists, professors, students,
and industries for the purposes of furthering and easing research and communications by
standardizing and centralizing materials information. The vehicles through which the
Materials World Net operates are “International Virtual Institutes (IVI).” Northwestern
University is developing a prototype IVI, which Prof. Chang demonstrated at this
workshop. One long-term goal is the development of additional IVIs around the world.
Each might have its own members and expertise, and be linked to all other IVIs. This,
along with meetings and gatherings in the real space, constitutes the Materials World Net.

Highlights of the IVI demonstration included analytical search tools, personalized virtual
offices, video conferencing capabilities, and shared electronic laboratory notebooks. Prof.
Chang offered to make copies of the IVI prototype on CD-Rom for those who are
interested in sharing the demonstration with others. Although the IVI is not operational
yet, Northwestern plans to begin testing parts of the site with a group of volunteers over
the next year.

Panel: Presentations by International Researchers on the Nanotechnology Initiatives

The panelists were asked to give a broad overview of the initiatives of their research
centers and institutes rather than present technical information. The presenters focused on
the research themes that are being pursued within their centers. Miguel Jose-Yacaman and
Robert Chang moderated the session.

Prof. Gabriel Crean spoke about the initiatives at the NMRC (www.nmrc.ie) of Ireland.

Naoki Kishimoto of the Nanomaterials Laboratory of the National Institute for Materials
Science (NIMS, www.nims.go.jp/nims/) in Tsukuba, Japan, began by describing the
organization of NIMS as well as its mission. Dr. Kishimoto further explained how
evaluation and steering committees are overseeing four nano research groups, which
further interact with third parties such as universities and the private sector. His
presentation is included in Appendix II.

Dr. James Roberto is the Associate Laboratory Director of the Oak Ridge National
Laboratory (ORNL, www.ornl.gov) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Dr. Roberto described the
interagency coordination that is happening under the National Nanotechnology Initiative
(www.nano.gov) of the United States Government. He then described the specific foci of
the Department of Energy (DOE) Nanoscale Science Research Centers, which are being
constructed over the next several years. His presentation can be found in Appendix II.

Dr. Claudio Nicolini, Director of the Biophysics Department of the University of Genova
(www.ibf.unige.it/) elected to speak from an Italian-European perspective in the
nanotechnology field. Prof. Nicoloni focused primarily on the biological developments
and applications of nanotechnology. His presentation is available in Appendix II.

Dr. Sishen Xie is the Director of the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology at the
Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS, www.casnano.ac.cn).

Dr. Jih Chang Yang of the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI,
www.itri.org.tw) of Taiwan reported that Taiwan is planning for the application and
marketing of nanotechnology products. His presentation is available in Appendix II.

Database Creation

The workshop organizers asked Dr. John Rumble Jr. of the National Institute of Standards
and Technology (NIST, www.nist.gov) to address the issue of creating a standardized
database for materials. Dr. Rumble has extensive experience helping researchers to create
databases for specific fields. After describing the scope of developing a database, Dr.
Rumble urged the group to address all significant questions before beginning a long-term
database project. He then outlined the most pertinent issues and concluded by stating that
while it is possible to create a nanotechnology and materials database, it would require
significant planning and pre-development research. Dr. Rumble’s presentation can be
found in Appendix II.

Planning Group Discussions

The breakout discussion groups were scheduled near the end of the day in order to give
participants an opportunity to talk about the day’s presentations. Each group leader
facilitated a discussion of ideas for creating and using a nanotechnology (and other)
network. Additional pertinent issues such as funding, types of collaborative programs,
communication issues, and creating a nanotechnology database were also on the agenda.
The group leaders were:

1. Dr. John Baglin, Almaden Research Laboratory, IBM;

2. Dr. Lih Chen, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing
Hua University of Taiwan;
3. Prof. Robert Nemanich, Physics Department, North Carolina State University;
4. Prof. Guillermo Solorzano, Department of Materials and Metallurgical Sciences,
Pontificia Universidade Catolica of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;
5. Miguel Jose Yacaman, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas
at Austin.

Summary of breakout group discussions: To address the broader issues mentioned above,
the breakout groups focused their discussions around the prototype IVI that Prof. Chang
demonstrated. Comments and recommendations that were common to all five discussion
groups included:
ƒ Research current available resources in order to avoid duplication of effort.
While the participants generally agreed that the functions demonstrated by
Prof. Chang would be useful, several functions already exist in similar formats.
Therefore, rather than building functions from scratch, resources could be
saved and development proceed more rapidly if the developers focused on
building upon existing functions.
ƒ Simplicity is the best model. These comments suggested that the most useful
functions will be those that are easy to use and can function in tandem with
current tools. In other words, many of the IVI’s sample functions such as
personalized offices will be useful insofar as they build upon current desktop
computer tools. Furthermore, a simple format for the site will be inviting to
the maximum number of users.
ƒ Understand the needs of the audience. The participants felt that focus groups
and test sessions with small groups of users is the best way to ensure that the
IVI (and Materials World Net) continues to reflect the needs of the users,
especially since the probable users will represent a large cross-section of the
materials community.
ƒ Two functions raised a significant number of doubts. Those were the virtual
journal and virtual laboratories/equipment. Regarding the journal, most felt
that intellectual property issues had not been adequately addressed here and,
 consequently, the contributions to the journal would be few. Virtual
laboratories and equipment are a nice idea, but not feasible due to the high
costs of maintenance.
ƒ Sustainability is an issue that should be addressed before much more
significant development takes place. Comments centered around financial
sustainability as well as usage and content. The participants recommended the
development of a plan for soliciting content and ensuring contributions on a
regular basis. Questions about financial sustainability might be addressed
through membership categories or other service-based fees.
ƒ Inclusive membership is intimately tied to the success of any initiative,
including IVI. A broad membership will help to ensure that the IVI is
dynamic.

The comments are further divided by topic here:

I. General Comments
1. Collect more information about user needs. For example, focus groups.
2. Consider financial sustainability.
3. Keep it simple.
4. Networking of people is the top priority.
5. Enabling all researchers to use the virtual institute must be the paramount concern.
6. Determine how the Materials World Net is better than existing publication
databases. For example, it could offer a comparison of approaches with more
details than is typical of publications.

II. Usage
1. A site/database for occasional use needs to be built differently from an “intensive
use” site. It must be obvious to the casual, non-specialist user, and simple and
intuitive, as the best existing sites. Doing this is a well-known IT process, and does
not need to be invented.
2. English language is a barrier in Japan and other countries. Perhaps the local
materials societies could provide translation of major parts of the site and database.
3. The main value of the IVI is providing a simple portal for researchers to acquire
information.
4. Utilize the professional societies that have a stake in materials to publicize IVI.
5. IVI must separate private and public areas. Otherwise, there is no way to protect
intellectual property.

III. Content
1. Essential to insist from the start that the services are simple and that all content is,
and will remain, open to all for free access.
2. Create a bulletin board to facilitate faculty exchange.
3. Good materials reference information already exists. Need human resource
reference information and standardization of keywords.
 4. IVI should not try to duplicate existing, fully adequate services such as the Web of
Science search for standard publications. Users are not likely to switch. Rather,
focus on things uniquely accessed due to international linkage of IUMRS.

IV. Scope
1. Preferable to keep focus on “materials research” rather than dedicated to
“nanotechnology.”
2. Include sub-topics having narrower scope and definition than “nanotech.”
3. Offer courses in current topics for students, or in-service training.
4. Virtual facilities: One important consideration is the high costs of the services.
Need a lot of on-site personnel at all times, which is costly and difficult. Therefore,
only truly rare, special tools deserve attention. DOE user facilities have the
infrastructure and would be a good starting point.
5. There is no evidence of a demanding constituency for a virtual journal.
6. Shared Notebooks for collaboration are discouraged because there are massive
intellectual property and publication problems. Industry is not likely to contribute
at all due to intellectual property problems. However, if parties discuss and agree
to IP issues prior to collaboration, a secure shared notebook can be a valuable asset.
7. The IVI should be pro-active in delivering the information to the members. The
education aspects of the IVI should be emphasized.

V. Operation and Finance

1. Need business plan projecting the costs of maintaining the site and growth of
usage, reaching acceptable balance after 5 years, with nearly assured funding
stability for 10 years.
2. Need to foresee solvency from grants, receipt of fees, etc.
3. Do not try to raise funds by selling information on (future) users’ habits.

Follow-up

Several participants completed forms in which they expressed a desire to help with the
development of certain aspects of IVI and international networking efforts, more generally.

An electronic newsletter is being developed and will be sent to the workshop participants,
as well as the materials community at large, in order to keep everyone apprised of
developments in the Materials World Net. An electronic forum will also be created to
encourage discussions of the type begun in Cancun.

Questions about this report should be directed to the Materials Research Institute at
Northwestern University at mri@northwestern.edu. Address: MRI, 2145 Sheridan Rd.,
Room K111, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.