About IMR

The Institute for Materials Research (IMR) was established in early 2006 as a multi-college center supported by the University’s College of Engineering, the College of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, the Office for Research and the Office of the Provost to coordinate existing and planned materials research activities, facilities and investments across The Ohio State University.

The IMR seeks to create and sustain a community of multidisciplinary materials researchers, capabilities, focus groups and centers that eliminates traditional discipline-driven boundaries at the research level, blends strengths and coordinates facilities so that interdisciplinary materials research leveraging the diverse strengths across the University can thrive.

The IMR maintains a wide array of programs and infrastructure support mechanisms that addresses precisely those critical inter-connections that are typically difficult to maintain in a university environment. In this current age where materials innovations are once again driving real advances in society, business, engineering and science this is vital. These include providing Members of Technical Staff for qualified multi-user facilities, various forms of seed funds to lower the barrier for facility access at the pre-proposal stage of research, interdisciplinary seed grants and industry matching funds, major proposal coordination and finishing, and related activities. This is in addition to the more usual programs that help to cement a broad community, such as seminars, workshops and sponsorship of a variety of training and education opportunities to the research community, as well as providing a focal point for strategic partnerships and linkages with industry, government and universities that are focused on materials-allied research.

The most recent federal rankings released by the National Science Foundation list OSU as the third highest-funded university in materials research in the U.S. The IMR seeks to leverage the strengths of our materials community by bringing together campus researchers from a wide range of disciplines to further materials research initiatives.

IMR: Part of Ohio State’s Targeted Investments in Excellence Program (TIE)

In 2006, the IMR was one of ten programs awarded funding through Ohio State’s Targeted Investments in Excellence Program.