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  • ALTON D. ROMIG OF SANDIA NATIONAL LABS RECEIVES NATIONAL MATERIALS ADVANCEMENT AWARD

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…on March 28-29, 2006, to join over 200 other members of the technical

community in the 11th annual Science, Engineering & Technology Congressional Visits Day (CVD).

Following an orientation lunch and tutorial, delegates from the Federation of Materials Societies will participate in Congressional and agency briefings and enjoy a Congressional reception to honor recipients of the George E. Brown, Jr., Memorial Award for SET Leadership.  The next day they attend a Congressional leadership breakfast and meet with members of Congress and their staffs.

Uniquely multi-sector and multi-disciplinary, CVD is coordinated by the SET Working Group, of which FMS is a member.  The core CVD message is that balanced Federal investment in science, engineering and technology is fundamental to innovation for the nation’s future prosperity and security.  FMS member delegates will carry a refined message emphasizing the importance of materials science, engineering and manufacturing as the foundation for innovation.

Resources for Participants:

  • CVD Briefing Schedule
  • CVD Core Message
  • FMS Message
  • Analysis of R&D in FY 2007 Budget: http://www.aaas.org/spp/rd/
  • State Fact Sheets
  • Overall R&D: http://www.aas.org/policy/cvd/StateSheets.html
  • DOE R&D: http://www.science.doe.gov/SC_Funding/
  • STEM Education: http://www.stemedcaucus.org/state_profiles.aspx
  • Competitiveness/Innovation Legislation
  • Innovation — House Side-by-Side
  • Senate & Admin. 3-06
  • “Dear Colleague” Letters

“The future of science funding will depend on many things beyond your control – the macro-economic situation, the nature of competing needs, etc.  But it will also depend on how actively you can make people like me understand why what  you’re about is important to our nation.”  (Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), Chairman, House Science Committee)

 “The world is entering an era of dramatic progress in bioscience and materials science as well as information technology and scientific instrumentation…The United States can remain the world’s technological leader if it makes the commitment to do so.  But…the inadequacies of our systems of research and education pose a greater threat to U.S. national security over the next quarter century than any potential conventional war that we might imagine.”  (the United States Commission on National Security/21st Century)

 “We are about to embark on an intense debate on the priorities of the Nation for its future.  This debate is all about the Nation’s future growth and prosperity, and that, in turn, is about the Nation’s investment in the foundations of discovery and innovation.  What will not be in dispute is that science, and the technology that flows from it, are duly recognized as the principal engine of our economic growth.  Nor will there be any contention of the fact that America’s present strength, prosperity, and global preeminence depend directly on fundamental research.  The scientific and economic record of the past 50 years constitutes overwhelming proof.”  (Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM))

 “The United States must compete by optimizing its knowledge-based resources, particularly in science and technology, and sustaining the most fertile environment for new and revitalized industries and the well-paying jobs they bring.” (the National Academies, “Rising Above the Gathering Storm”)

 “Innovate or abdicate.”  (the Council on Competitiveness, “National Innovation Initiative”)

The Federation of Materials Societies (FMS) is an umbrella organization whose member societies and affiliates represent the professional societies, universities and National Research Council organizations which are involved with materials science, engineering and technology. FMS constituent societies have more than 700,000 individual members.

An affiliate of FMS, The University Materials Council represents most of the major university materials departments. FMS also has liaison representatives from the Solid State Sciences Committee, the National Materials Advisory Board, and the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering advisory groups to the National Research Council covering the field of materials. Several corporations with strong materials interests also support FMS as Corporate Affiliates.


The purpose of FMS is to aid the materials community in obtaining information from and exchanging information with the policy community. An important FMS goal is to help the materials community to arrive at consensus materials policy and to assist it in informing policy makers of materials concerns.

In addition, FMS serves as a clearinghouse between materials professionals and among its diverse constituent societies concerning their current activities, best practices, and the opportunities and problems cutting across specific materials and materials societies. The Federation of Materials Societies helps facilitate communication across the materials community.


FMS sponsors periodic workshops and a biennial meeting on matters of materials policy. These meetings provide a forum where policy makers and materials people can meet to discuss issues, develop policy and recommend actions.

The results of these meetings are summarized in meeting reports, white papers and recommendations for actions. FMS sponsors briefings for policy makers based on these meetings. Briefings are initiated both by FMS, federal agencies, the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), and other key government organizations.

FMS sponsors regular meetings of its Trustees, who represent its individual constituent societies and associated groups. Information exchange between societies about current activities and problems, policy alerts from the Washington community, discussion of FMS positions on issues, and the planning of future FMS activities are all the focus of these meetings.

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