Complex sentence: These cross-disciplinary, center-based activities required significant changes in how materials research and education were carried out at academic institutions and the IDLs/MRLs are credited with contributing to the accelerating growth of Materials Science and Engineering Departments in the U.S. in the 1960s to 1980s.
Split into simpler sentences: These cross-disciplinary, center-based activities required significant changes in how materials research and education were carried out at academic institutions. The IDLs/MRLs are credited with contributing to the accelerating growth of Materials Science and Engineering Departments in the U.S. in the 1960s to 1980s.