UChicago will lead the CECAM-US-CENTRAL node, joining Midwestern partners Argonne National Laboratory, Northwestern University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Notre Dame. Andrew Ferguson, associate professor in the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at UChicago, will serve as the first node director for CECAM-US-CENTRAL.

Together we will pursue research in condensed matter physics and chemistry, hard and soft molecular modeling and simulation, computational science, as well as data science and artificial intelligence in the context of molecular design. Moreover, the Node will host activities such as workshops, exchanges, schools, training programs and external partnerships.

“As a leader in the future-facing field of molecular modeling and design, it is important for UChicago and its regional partners to build deep connections with experts around the world and lessen barriers to collaboration,” said Juan de Pablo, executive vice president for science, innovation, national laboratories and global initiatives at UChicago. “This new partnership with CECAM will allow us to work more closely with both regional and international partners and accelerate the rate of research across the board. It will also provide fantastic opportunities for our students to interact with thought leaders from around the world.”

CECAM-US-CENTRAL will build on its members’ established strengths in atomistic and molecular modeling, high-performance computing, and the development of mathematical methods and computational algorithms for research in physical, biological and engineering sciences. The effort will be led by the University of Chicago, and each partner institution will contribute unique resources and facilities across a range of disciplines. Some are already connected through multiple collaborative mechanisms, including the NIST-funded Center for Hierarchical Materials Design (CHiMaD), the Midwest Center for Computational Materials (MiCCoM) and the Catalyst Design for Decarbonization Center (CD4DC).

CECAM Director Andrea Cavalli said: “The CECAM-US-CENTRAL remarkably impacts the global positioning of CECAM by creating its first node outside of Europe. This node brings together a strong and exciting consortium of partners. It provides CECAM with a unique opportunity to strengthen further knowledge exchange between European and U.S. researchers in computational science. These scientific and technological activities are crucial to fostering exciting collaborations in leading-edge theories, software and applications to address grand challenges for societal progress.”

The new Node’s first activity will be an academic conference to be held at the University of Chicago in July 2024 : https://www.cecam.org/workshop-details/1348