The Divisions of Chemistry (CHE) and Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems (CBET) jointly fund this award to the National Academy of Sciences to support the core activities of the Chemical Sciences Roundtable (CSR). The CSR provides an apolitical forum for leaders in the chemical sciences and engineering, with the objective of enhancing understanding of issues that affect government, academic, national laboratory and nonprofit sectors. These discussions provide a vehicle for interaction among the participants, and for education, exchange of information and discussion of issues and trends that affect the chemical sciences. CSR members are appointed by the National Research Council's Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology; membership consists of 30-35 volunteer chemical scientists and engineers from academia, industry, government, the national laboratories, and the non-profit sector. The results of CSR discussions and workshops will be disseminated through workshop reports made available through professional societies, scientific and trade publications, and on the web.
provides great potential for enhancing the future well-being of the chemical sciences. The realm of the chemical sciences and technology not only span the science and engineering disciplines but also encompass a major segment of U.S. industry. The Chemical Sciences Roundtable is a unique science-oriented, apolitical forum of leaders of the chemical enterprise. Its objectives are to facilitate enhanced understanding of issues in the chemical sciences and technologies that affect government, industry, academic, national laboratory, and nonprofit sectors, and the interactions among them; and to furnish a vehicle for education, exchange of information and discussion of issues and trends that affect the chemical sciences. Through a combination of educational and leadership roles, the Chemical Sciences Roundtable will continue its role in maintaining the health and strength of the chemical sciences in the United States. The Chemical Sciences Roundtable held three meetings during this reporting period that convened federal and private leaders to discuss issues of concern in the chemical sciences. The September 29-30, 2011 meeting was held in conjunction with a workshop entitled "The Role of Chemical Sciences in Finding Alternatives to Critical Mineral and Material Resources: A Workshop." Speakers and participants focused on the role of chemical sciences in finding alternatives to critical mineral and material resources. Key topics addressed in the workshop included: • the economic/political matrix for addressing the issue, • the history of societal responses to key mineral and material shortages, • the applications for and properties of existing minerals and materials, and • the chemistry of possible replacements. The workshop summary for this event is currently available. Roundtable members met after the workshop to discuss future meeting topics. When the Roundtable met January 11-12, 2012, the agenda included guest speakers on the topics of responses to emerging needs in education, energy and sustainability in chemical engineering, and AAMC-HHMI recommendations and undergraduate chemistry. The May 30-31, 2012 meeting was held in conjunction with a workshop entitled "Opportunities and Obstacles in Large-Scale Biomass Utilization—The Role of the Chemical Sciences." Roundtable members met on May 30 to discuss future meeting topics, and the workshop was held on May 31. Key topics addressed in the workshop included feedstocks and conversion technologies and value chains. The workshop summary for this event is currently available. More information can be found at http://dels.nas.edu/global/bcst/biomass, including the agenda, presentation files, and videos. In addition to the workshop, committee members heard from Susan Singer, chair of the recent NRC committee on Discipline?Based Education Research. This talk was requested in follow up to the January 2012 meeting focused on chemical engineering and chemistry curricula.
