SLO Reporter

Congressman Salud Carbajal is proud to amplify a recent announcement by the National Science Foundation (NSF) that is bringing $18 million over 6 years to UC Santa Barbara’s Materials Research Laboratory (MRL).

UC Santa Barbara’s Materials Research Laboratory has been deemed one of the top five materials research facilities in the world, and this funding will go towards supporting this world-class facility. This award will also help sustain ongoing projects to develop new processing methods to enable manufacturing of more sustainable and recyclable polymers, and create biomaterials that utilize touch and movement for control.

"As the Central Coast’s representative in Congress, it brings me great pride to witness all of the technological innovations taking place right here in our community. This new funding ensures that UCSB researchers will continue to open doors in scientific advancement while benefiting our entire community through the results of their work," said Rep. Carbajal. "With these resources, our local community and businesses are able to gain access to top-tier facilities and cutting-edge research."

“We love bringing new investigators into the MRL family who take the research in new directions. We want this center to be ever expanding to make the greatest social impact,” said Chris Bates, an associate professor of materials and associate director of the MRL, who added that other faculty will be able to apply for two-year seed grants, funded by the MRSEC, to pursue smaller projects.

This award designates UC Santa Barbara as an NSF Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC). UC Santa Barbara was one of nine institutions selected for this award.

Congressman Carbajal has been a strong supporter of the National Science Foundation. Last year, he advocated for its expansion through the CHIPS and Science Act, which was signed into law.

Last month, UC Santa Barbara was also selected as one of seven universities to lead research on artificial intelligence. This selection included a $5.3 million grant.