There are a number of cross-cutting areas which are applied within some or all of the streams, often in radically different ways and to a variety of problems. Many of these play an increasing role in our grand challenges today as we try to tackle some of the most sweeping problems human-kind has faced. More and more we look to technology and engineering solutions to help us investigate causes of, and find solutions to these problems. We also find that by interdisciplinary collaborations we can use these methods in inventive ways that would otherwise not be considered.