Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh, and investigators at several Department of Energy laboratories are teaming to evaluate and improve metallic interconnect materials for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). This presentation will focus on research at Carnegie Mellon investigating the fundamental thermo-mechanical aspects of the durability of SOFC interconnect alloys and coatings. Indentation testing methods to measure interfacial fracture toughness of coating systems will be described, and results will be presented for the toughness of interfaces between ferritic interconnect alloys and chromia scales or chromite-coated chromia scales. Results from specimens subjected to simulative high-temperature environments will be used to understand the mechanisms leading to coating spallation and the effects of different environments on coating/alloy durability. Results from short-term exposure indentation tests will be related to results from longer-term exposure TGA experiments. One goal of this research and companion research at the University of Pittsburgh is to understand spallation mechanisms in alloys already proposed for interconnect applications. A second goal is to develop accelerated testing protocols for evaluating newly developed interconnect alloys.