One of the most compelling themes to emerge in materials science recently is the degree to which materials properties are dramatically enhanced in the presence of finely balanced competing interactions. Nowhere is this more evident than in transition metal oxides and related compounds, which display a remarkable variety of phenomena that may be ascribed to length scales in the presence of such competition is a key challenge in condensed matter physics, and forms the subject of the workshop on "Competing Interactions and Colossal Responses in Transition Metal Compounds".

This workshop is the fifth in a highly successful series of workshops that have been held in Telluride since 1998. Initially, they focussed on the physics of colossal magnetoresistive manganites, but as the subject has evolved, the links with the physics of other transition metal oxides and related compounds have become clearer and so the scope of the workshops has broadened.

The goals of the workshop are as follows:
1) To disseminate the most recent results in the physics of transition metal oxides and related compounds.
2) To provide a forum to discuss the underlying principles that govern the colossal response of materials subjected to strongly competing interactions.
3) To identify future directions for research in these materials.
4) To encourage new collaborations among experimental and/or theoretical programs among universities and national laboratories, and to strengthen ongoing collaborations.