Catalysis is an applied science that has benefited from advances in fundamental science. Indeed, many of the most important commercial catalysts have their roots in fundamental understanding in such diverse fields as chemistry, chemical engineering and material science. The program for the 2016 GRC in Catalysis will focus on four critical areas of catalytic science; these being Synthesis of New Materials, In Situ and Operando Characterization, Computational Modeling, and Reaction Mechanisms and how the interplay of each of these areas leads to better understanding and finally a working catalyst.