Our research aims to discover, design and synthesize new material systems to overcome the fundamental barriers to higher temperature operation with requisite durability in future gas turbines. Because of the complexity of the system and phenomena involved, a systems perspective is essential, i.e. the research must not only the individual layers of the system but also their interplay as they evolve over time, and their implications for material discovery and design. The systems perspective demands an understanding of both intrinsic and extrinsic failure modes within these complex, multilayered systems under a range of thermomechanical cycling conditions. We are developing models for damage growth under cyclic conditions that can guide development of strain compatible coating systems and exploring new compositional domains for failure-resistant coatings for high temperature applications.