Greeting from Director
I am Hiroyuki Fukuyama, now in my second year as the Director of the Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials (IMRAM). I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to what’s new at IMRAM.
IMRAM is the largest university-affiliated research institute in Japan in the field of materials science, with a well-balanced fusion of three research axes: “Materials,” “Processes,” and “Measurements.” Leveraging the strength of this trinity research system, which enables us to consistently promote everything from material design and synthesis to evaluation and application, we were able to achieve significant research results in various fields last year, including environmentally harmonious processes and decommissioning, next-generation energy materials, and future medical care.
Strategic Personnel Management and Human Resource Development
Following Tohoku University’s designation as Japan’s first University for International Research Excellence, IMRAM has formulated a strategic personnel policy and begun selecting internationally outstanding researchers. This personnel strategy envisions reorganizing the current research centers over the next five years and establishing “Problem-Solving International Research Centers (tentative name)” where current faculty and international excellence faculty will collaborate to solve urgent social issues. When Tohoku University was founded, it attempted to invite Dr. A. Einstein with the firm determination to conduct research “not inferior to the world.” IMRAM inherits this spirit and will accelerate knowledge creation through collaboration between invited outstanding researchers and internal faculty. The entire institute is working together to realize this challenging concept and ensure that excellent researchers can join us as early as possible this fiscal year.
In fiscal year 2024, we introduced a tenure-track system for associate professors as part of creating an environment where excellent young researchers can concentrate on research with stability. This is establishing a foundation for future researchers to engage in challenging research with original ideas.
Strengthening Research Infrastructure
The next-generation synchrotron radiation facility “NanoTerasu,” which has been in operation for a year, is already producing many results as a facility equipped with cutting-edge research equipment and advanced technical support systems. IMRAM has secured 120 hours of usage time this fiscal year. I hope that our members will actively utilize NanoTerasu to produce excellent research results that can be differentiated from others in a timely manner.
This fiscal year, IMRAM and the Institute for Materials Research have collaborated to establish the “Tohoku Center of Excellence for Microscopy (TCEM)” for advanced structural analysis and property evaluation of both hard and soft materials. This center enables atomic and molecular-level structural analysis of a wide range of soft materials (proteins, polymers, organic composite materials) using cryo-electron microscopy. The “Soft Material Research Center” within IMRAM collaborates with TCEM to promote advanced research activities and social implementation of soft materials using cryo-electron microscopy. Along with NanoTerasu, we will actively contribute to the realization of the “Science Park” envisioned by Tohoku University.
Development of Industry-Academia Collaboration and Joint Research
In industry-academia collaboration, co-creation research centers with Dexerials, JEOL, and MITSUI KINZOKU, as well as a joint research division with Sumitomo Metal Mining have been established, and we are developing active industry-academia collaborative activities based on stable and trusting relationships. We are working on innovative material and device development and advancement of measurement and analysis technologies by integrating the practical needs of companies with our institute’s basic research capabilities.
Additionally, IMRAM conducts network-type joint research center and alliance projects consisting of five research institutes spanning Japan (Hokkaido University RIES, Tohoku University IMRAM, Science Tokyo RIST, Osaka University ISIR, and Kyushu University IMCE). As the headquarters of the ” Crossover Alliance to Create the Future with People, Intelligence and Materials ” in the alliance project, we are promoting joint research aimed at exploring new academic fields in materials science and social implementation.
Future Outlook
This fiscal year, we will further develop the various initiatives mentioned above and organically link them to focus more on improving research capabilities and promoting interdisciplinary fusion research. We will also actively promote activities to bridge basic research results to social implementation through efforts toward realizing the university’s Science Park concept, contributing to the sustainable development of human society.
We sincerely ask for your continued guidance and encouragement in the future.
April 2025,
Director Hiroyuki Fukuyama
