International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics

International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA from MAterials NanoArchitectonics) is a special research unit established in 2007 at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) within the World Premier International (WPI) Research Center Initiative by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

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

MANA advisors include Nobel Prize laureates Harold Kroto and Heinrich Rohrer, as well as other prominent scientists (C. N. R. Rao, Galen D. Stucky, etc.) and industry leaders (L. Schlapbach, CEO of Empa).

MANA members include such recognized scientists as Omar M. Yaghi, Christoph Gerber, James Gimzewski, Mark Welland and others.

MANA currently (September 2008) employs only several tens members, originating from at least 9 countries (Japan, UK, US, China, India, Russia, France, Italy and Sweden). However, the number of employees is planned to increase up to about 200.

The purpose of establishing MANA is very unusual for a scientific institution in a way that a relatively small unit (MANA, about 50 employees) is put forward to lead the research of a large scientific body (NIMS, about 1500 employees). In fact, MANA is considered as a mechanism of reorganization 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.

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