Materials Science and Engineering Affinity Group

Systemwide Materials Science and Engineering Infrastructure

Materials Science and Engineering Centers 

Through the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), the System operates several core centers  focused on materials and manufacturing: 

• • Center of Innovation in Mechanics for Design and Manufacturing (CiMDM)
    • Focus: mechanics for early-stage design and manufacturing; physics-based understanding of advanced manufacturing processes; sensor-based prognostics and quality control. 
  • Institute for Manufacturing Systems (IMS)
    • Focus: manufacturing systems broadly—product and process design, operations, supply chain, lifecycle management, and smart factories. A natural hub for digital/Industry 4.0 collaborations. 
  • National Center for Therapeutics Manufacturing (NCTM)
    • Focus: biopharmaceutical manufacturing and workforce development for pharmaceutical and biologics production

Core Facilities for Materials R&D 

These are open, shared user facilities that support researchers from across The Texas A&M System and  beyond: 

• • AggieFab Nanofabrication Facility (Aggie Fab)
    • 6,500 sq ft cleanroom with advanced micro/nanofabrication tools (He ion microscope, FIB, ALD, etc.)  for electronics, energy, defense, and advanced manufacturing. 
  • Materials Characterization Facility (MCF) 
    • Multi-user facility for electron/ion/optical microscopy and surface/interfacial analysis; supported by the VPR, TEES, and the College of Engineering; serves TAMU and external users. 
  • Materials Development and Characterization Center (MDC2) 
    • User facility with spark plasma sintering, XRD, arc melting, laser 3D printing, thermal and mechanical testing; explicitly serves other Texas A&M System members as well as national labs and industry. 
    • Soft Matter Facility (SoMF) 
    • The only Texas user facility dedicated to state-of-the-art characterization of multifunctional soft materials (molecular, nano, thin films, thermomechanical). 
  • Polymer Technology Consortia (PTC)
    • Industry-funded consortia supporting polymer R&D across multiple engineering departments. 
  • National Corrosion and Materials Reliability Lab (NCMRL)
    • Focus on corrosion and materials reliability for energy, defense, automotive, healthcare, and infrastructure, bridging fundamental science to applied technology.

Texas A&M RELLIS Campus  & Center for Infrastructure Renewal (CIR)

• • The RELLIS Campus is a 3,200-acre applied research hub for the System, with strong emphasis on advanced manufacturing and large-scale infrastructure. 
  • Within RELLIS, the Center for Infrastructure Renewal (CIR) houses:
    • The Advanced Infrastructure Materials and Manufacturing Lab (AIMM), and
    • A large High-Bay Structural and Materials Testing Lab, supporting new infrastructure materials,  advanced manufacturing, and large-scale structural testing.