(Washington, DC) – House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Ranking Member Frank Lucas (R-OK) joined Energy Subcommittee Ranking Member Randy Weber (R-TX) on legislation to accelerate research in chemistry and materials science.
The Computing Advancements for Materials Science (CAMS) Act creates a fundamental research program at the Department of Energy (DOE) to apply advanced computing practices to emerging chemistry and materials science challenges. The bill also establishes computational materials and chemistry science centers and a materials research database.
DOE’s materials science work explores the properties and development of novel materials that can be used to make energy production, storage, and use cleaner and more efficient. The CAMS Act amplifies work being done by Republicans to improve material science research, notably within the Securing American Leadership in Science and Technology Act (SALSTA).
“The path to cleaner energy is clear: it’s investing in American R&D, not penalizing American consumers,” Weber said. “This bill gets to the heart of the fundamental research we need to support clean energy breakthroughs. Applying advanced computing capabilities to materials science will accelerate our progress in developing new clean energy technology. And make no mistake—new technology is and always has been the driving force behind cleaner and more affordable American energy. I appreciate Ranking Member Lucas’ support of my bill, and I look forward to making progress on this important work.”
“I’m proud to join Rep. Weber on his bill to improve our materials science research through advanced computing,” Lucas said. “The CAMS Act builds on our ongoing work to support technological development through fundamental research. We need to continue to improve our understanding of materials science if we are going to develop advanced clean energy technologies. The Department of Energy leads the world in applying advanced computing capabilities to researching and creating new technologies and I look forward to seeing the partners they choose to create computational science research centers to drive our work in material sciences.”