Increasingly materials scientists and engineers focus on the control of atomic scale structure to tailor material properties for desired functionality and applications. This focus has pushed our discipline to the forefront of developing and applying new tools to observe and manipulate matter at the smallest scales. In recent years, computational tools have been developed to guide the experiments to accelerate the discovery, design and development of advanced materials.

The strength of the materials research program at the University of Michigan is in its diversity. Our faculty are engaged in state-of-the-art research covering a broad spectrum of activities with the common goal of improving how materials are utilized and manufactured to improve the quality of life in the 21st century.

Our expertise spans the complete spectrum of advanced engineering material systems comprised of semiconductors, polymers, bio-materials, metals, and ceramics in the form of nanostructured, composite, thin film or bulk materials for applications in energy, transportation, defense, electronics and communications, sustainability, biomedical and consumer products. The research paradigm involves integration of processing, characterization and theory/computation.

To learn more about the currently active research projects and browse through publications, please visit the research group pages of the individual faculty.

The research activities are sorted by primary focus on i) Functional Materials (electronic, optoelectronic, optical, magnetic, biological, chemical function), and ii) Structural Materials (load-bearing applications including extreme environments such as high-temperatures and irradiation).