Discovered Materials Opens Five Science Challenges With $1 Million Cap

Discovered Materials began a five-part materials science competition Thursday, Nov. 5, offering a maximum of $1 million for work on problems tied to superconductors, chip manufacturing and heat management.

Prize limits vary by problem: $400,000 for cuprate superconductivity, $200,000 for semiconductor interfaces and $200,000 for a more accurate exchange-correlation functional for density functional theory. The challenges on light-driven materials and heat transfer between solid interfaces each carry a $100,000 ceiling. Together, the maximums total $1 million; they do not guarantee that every award will be paid.

The superconductivity task calls for a predictive theory that explains experimental results and may help researchers identify high-temperature superconductors. At the semiconductor interface, entrants must forecast how manufacturing history — including growth, cooling and annealing — changes interface formation and electrical properties. Another challenge seeks a more accurate exchange-correlation functional to improve density functional theory predictions without losing computational efficiency. The light-driven task asks for a computational method that tracks electrons and lattice vibrations together over time. The last challenge calls for a framework to predict heat transfer across boundaries between solids. Across the five problems, entrants are being asked for explanatory theory, computational methods and predictive models.

Matforge Inc. operates under the Discovered Materials name and develops AI agents to discover materials for semiconductor chips. Eligible entrants include individuals who are at least 18, teams and legal entities. The rules do not specify AI use as a condition for entry.

Every submission must include a technical report that allows the work to be reproduced, as well as supporting data. Computational projects must also provide their code and the inputs and parameters used to produce results.

Matforge decides whether work satisfies each challenge’s success criteria before closing it. No calendar deadline is set; each challenge stays open until the sponsor ends it. The prize goes to the eligible entrant whose successful submission reaches Matforge earliest. The company may divide an award if qualifying entries arrive within seven days of one another.

Entrants retain ownership of their work, while Matforge receives an indefinite, noncancelable right to use submissions commercially without royalty payments. The rules also treat submitted material as nonconfidential.