Number 27 (Story #2), March 28, 1991 by Phillip F. Schewe and Ben Stein MATERIALS SCIENCE IN THE 1990's. At the same meeting, Bill Appleton (615-574-4321) of Oak Ridge summarized "A National Agenda in Material Science and Engineering," a report following up on last year's study, "Materials Science and Engineering in the 1990's," released by the National Research Council. The new report, presented to the President's science advisor, D. Allan Bromley, last month, calls for a strategic planning process emphasizing initiatives in six areas of national importance where MS&E can have a critical impact: (1) information/communications, particularly in the miniaturization of electronic devices; (2) transportation, such as in the design of new structural materials; (3) energy, particularly materials for energy conversion and conservation; (4) health--developing biocompatible materials; (5) environment--designing materials that are recyclable; and (6) "maintaining leadership in materials research," meaning the continuing pursuit of new synthesis and processing techniques and the creation of new instrumentation.