International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics
International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics is a special research unit established in 2007 at the National Institute for Materials Science within the Research Center Initiative by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.
Members
MANA brings together outstanding researchers from Japan and other countries to conduct research at NIMS. The organizations providing foreign researchers are named "satellites" and currently include- University of Cambridge
- University of California
- Georgia Institute of Technology
- CNRS
- University of Tsukuba
- Tokyo University of Science and
- Hokkaido University.
MANA include such recognized scientists as Omar M. Yaghi, Christoph Gerber, James Gimzewski, Mark Welland and others.
MANA currently employs only several tens members,
originating from at least 9 countries. However, the number of employees is planned to increase up to about 200.
Purpose and structure
The purpose of establishing MANA is very unusual for a scientific institution in a way that a relatively small unit is put forward to lead the research of a large scientific body. In fact, MANA is considered as a mechanism of of the whole research system of NIMS. Consequently, best young scientists from all over the world are hired to conduct research, and the elite senior scientists are invited to guide them. Despite very young age of MANA, important results have already been obtained and published in major journals, such as Nature and Science, and more are expected to come in the nearest future.Another unusual feature of MANA is that although it is located in Japan and most its employees are Japanese, its primary language is English. This feature reflects the initiative of NIMS to become a leading and truly international scientific center.