Center for Dynamics and Control of Materials: an NSF MRSEC

What Center for Dynamics and Control of Materials: an NSF MRSEC does

The Center for Dynamics and Control of Materials (CDCM) is an NSF Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) established at The University of Texas at Austin in 2017 under NSF Award DMR-1720595 and renewed in 2023 with an $18 million six-year cooperative agreement (DMR-2308817). The center operates two Interdisciplinary Research Groups: IRG 1 designs fuel-driven pluripotent materials based on nanocrystal and biopolymer networks whose structure and functionality can be actively controlled by chemical or optical fueling, with applications in optical coatings, soft robotics, and artificial cellular materials; IRG 2 addresses engineered functionality in atomically thin heterostructures and moiré quantum systems for electronics, photonics, and quantum information processing. Research is conducted by a multi-departmental team spanning organic chemistry, polymer and biomolecular materials, materials simulation, nanomaterials synthesis, and ultrafast optical characterization.

The center operates shared experimental facilities — including laser labs, spectroscopy equipment, cryostats, gloveboxes, rheometers, and microscopy tools — made available to internal and external researchers on tiered hourly-rate schedules (Internal UT, Higher Ed/State Agency, For-Profit). A $40 one-time training fee applies to internal users ($50 for For-Profit). Ancillary revenue streams beyond NSF cooperative agreement funding include these usage-based facility fees and UT Austin institutional support. Education and outreach programs include Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU), Research Experiences for Teachers (RET), FUSE, CREATE, and the Materials Universe Podcast, with PREM partnerships at Texas State University (CIMA, 2021), Northern Arizona University, and ¡MIRA-PREM! broadening participation at Hispanic-serving and community college institutions.

The center functions as an academic research hub, not a commercial enterprise, with no products sold to external customers beyond facility access. Affiliated faculty have received the Wolf Prize in Physics (2020), Kavli Prize in Nanoscience (2026), MRS Medal (2023), APS Fellowships, Sloan Research Fellowships, NSF CAREER awards, and NAI Senior Member designations. The first commercial spinoff pathway emerged in 2024 when postdoc Gabriel Cassio received an Activate Fellowship to found Nanoscale Labs.

Name

Center for Dynamics and Control of Materials: an NSF MRSEC

Legal name

Center for Dynamics and Control of Materials: an NSF MRSEC

Website

https://mrsec.utexas.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Center for Dynamics and Control of Materials is an NSF-funded MRSEC at UT Austin conducting interdisciplinary materials science research on fuel-driven soft materials and atomically thin heterostructures while operating shared experimental facilities and STEM education programs for university researchers, students, and K-12 educators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Materials Research

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Research and Development in Nanotechnology (541713)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

DRAM (DDR/LPDDR/HBM) (HDAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Materials science research
• Interdisciplinary research
• Shared experimental facilities
• STEM education programs
• Condensed matter physics

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. NSF MRSEC Cooperative Agreement: Primary funding from National Science Foundation through Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSEC) program. The Center was initially funded under NSF Award Number DMR-1720595 and currently under DMR-2308817. Additional support provided by The University of Texas at Austin.
2. User Fees for Shared Facilities: Hourly rates charged for use of shared experimental equipment including rheometers, spectrometers, lasers, cryostats, gloveboxes, and microscopy systems. Rates vary by user category (Internal, Higher Ed/State agencies, For-Profit) and equipment type.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Center for Dynamics and Control of Materials (CDCM) is an NSF-funded Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) hosted at The University of Texas at Austin. It conducts fundamental and applied materials science research through Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs), operates shared experimental facilities open to internal and external users, and delivers K–12 through graduate STEM education and workforce development programs.

Product overview

The Center for Dynamics and Control of Materials (CDCM) is an NSF-funded Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) that functions as a collaborative research hub rather than a commercial product company. Its offerings consist of two core Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRG 1: Fuel-Driven Pluripotent Materials and IRG 2: Engineered Functionality in Atomically Thin Heterostructures), shared experimental research facilities including laser labs, spectroscopy, and microscopy equipment, and educational programs (REU, RET, FUSE, CREATE) for students and teachers at various levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fuel-Driven Pluripotent Materials IRG Interdisciplinary Research Group investigating materials whose properties can be dynamically controlled by external stimuli, with applications in energy, catalysis, and responsive systems. Open to faculty, postdocs, and graduate researchers at UT Austin and collaborating institutions.
• Engineered Functionality in Atomically Thin Heterostructures IRG Interdisciplinary Research Group focused on designing and probing functionality in two-dimensional and van der Waals heterostructures for next-generation electronic, photonic, and quantum devices. Targets condensed matter physicists, materials scientists, and device engineers.
• Shared Experimental Facilities Centralized research infrastructure providing access to advanced materials characterization and fabrication tools (electron microscopy, cleanroom, spectroscopy, nanofabrication) to UT Austin researchers, other academic institutions, and government/industry users on a fee-for-access basis.
• Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Paid summer research internship program placing undergraduate students from across the U.S. into CDCM labs for mentored materials science research.
• Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) Summer professional development program for K–12 STEM teachers involving hands-on materials science research and curriculum design support.
• CREATE Program Undergraduate research training initiative supporting students from underrepresented backgrounds in materials science and STEM through mentorship and cohort-based research experiences.
• FUSE Program Outreach program delivering hands-on materials science demonstrations and modules to K–12 classrooms and community audiences to build STEM engagement.

Quantifiable outcome

• Allan Macdonald won the Wolf Prize in Physics 2020 and Kavli Prize in Nanoscience 2026 for twistronics work
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• Activate FellowshipsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 September 2024Postdoc Gabriel Cassio from Ed Yu's lab received Activate Fellowship to found startup Nanoscale Labs. The fellowship offers early-stage science entrepreneurs funding, technical resources, mentorship, and support from a network of scientists, engineers, and investors.
• Texas State University (CIMA PREM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2021NSF Partnership for Research and Education in Materials (PREM) Center for Intelligent Materials Assembly (CIMA) - a sister center at Texas State University focused on strengthening the pipeline of students in materials science and STEM careers through research and education. Partnership includes student exchanges, joint research, and collaborative programs targeting Hispanic-serving institution students.
• Northern Arizona University PREMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Research and Education in Materials focused on collaborative research and education initiatives in materials science.
• ¡MIRA-PREM! PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership focused on broadening participation in materials research, likely targeting Hispanic-serving institutions.
• Industry RepresentativessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partners participate in Annual Meeting & Industry Day events, providing lightning talks, career development workshops, mock interviews, and networking opportunities with students. Industry engagement is a regular component of the Center's programs.
• Energy Institute at UT AustinsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Energy Institute collaborates with industry members and the Center on energy research initiatives, creating opportunities for students and energy community members.
• Howard Hughes Medical InstitutecoreOthersHHMI Professor awards support innovation in undergraduate education at UT Austin, with three scientists from UT receiving combined $2.5 million to improve undergraduate science education.
• Community College Partners (CREATE Program)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCREATE Program brings research opportunities to community college students, preparing them for scientific careers through collaboration between Texas State University and UT Austin faculty.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cornell Center for Materials Research (CCMR): NSF-funded MRSEC at Cornell University with shared experimental facilities, interdisciplinary research groups, and education/outreach programs structurally analogous to CDCM. Comparable funding scale and mission.
• Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences (SIMES): Joint Stanford/SLAC institute pursuing fundamental research in materials and energy sciences, including quantum materials and photonics. Comparable research scope and prestige.
• University of Chicago Materials Research Science and Engineering Center: NSF MRSEC at UChicago with overlapping focus on quantum materials, soft matter, and functional materials. Direct peer in the same federal MRSEC program.

Others

• Argonne National Laboratory: DOE national laboratory with major materials science programs including the Argonne Quantum Foundry and the Center for Nanoscale Materials. Shares materials science mission and large-scale user facility model.
• SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory: DOE national laboratory at Stanford with materials science research and Stanford SIMES partnership. Operates synchrotron and free-electron laser user facilities relevant to CDCM's atomic-scale research.
• Brookhaven National Laboratory: DOE national laboratory operating the National Synchrotron Light Source II and the Center for Functional Nanomaterials, serving broad materials research user communities comparable to CDCM's shared facilities.
• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: DOE national laboratory with the Molecular Foundry and Advanced Light Source, providing shared user facilities and materials science research programs comparable in mission and scale to CDCM.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/texasmrsec
• YouTubeyoutube.com/utaustintexas
• Facebookfacebook.com/texasmrsec
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/texasmrsec
• Instagraminstagram.com/texasmrsec/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Center for Dynamics and Control of Materials: an NSF MRSEC