Rice University has received a $19.9 million award from the National Science Foundation to lead a four-year project using artificial intelligence, robotics, and cloud-based laboratories to accelerate the manufacturing of electronic and quantum materials. The university announced the project, called READINESS.
Rice is heading the project with materials scientist Jun Lou serving as principal investigator. Collaborators include SUNY Polytechnic Institute and the University of Texas at Austin, with philanthropic support from the Astera Institute. The project will integrate automated synthesis equipment, robotic systems, materials characterization tools, and a digital twin of the laboratory.
READINESS is one of 20 projects selected for the NSF’s Programmable Cloud Laboratories Test Bed initiative, part of a $380 million investment in a national network. The laboratory will initially focus on two-dimensional materials, oxide semiconductors, and diamond thin films.
KEY QUOTES:
“This project will give researchers access to capabilities that have traditionally been available only in a handful of laboratories. By lowering those barriers, READINESS can accelerate discovery and expand who can participate in cutting-edge materials research.”
David Sholl, Executive Vice President for Research, Rice University
“Our goal is to create a laboratory that researchers from across the country can use to produce advanced electronic and quantum materials on demand. By integrating robotics, AI and digital twins, we aim to learn from every experiment and shorten the pathway from scientific discovery to practical technology.”
Jun Lou, Karl F. Hasselmann Professor of Materials Science and Nanoengineering, Rice University
