Facts and Achievements 2015 Preface
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Facts and Achievements 2015 Preface Masakazu Aono MANA Director-General NIMS The International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA) was founded in 2007 as one of the first five centers under the World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI Program) of Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). In all the way of this period, MANA has conducted its research on the basis of our own “nanoarchitectonics” concept. All the members of MANA including permanent scientists, postdoctoral researchers, technical and administrative staff and students are happy to see that MANA has become a really world-top-level research center in the field of material science and technology. In fact, until December 2015, MANA has published 3,316 papers in 422 different journals and 118 of them are now among the top 1% most cited papers in the world. Further, MANA has achieved an extremely high score of 2.42 for Elsevier’s Field Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI), a new index created to “fairly compare the quality of papers published by research institutions that work in different fields.” MANA’s papers are printed in journals with an extremely high average Impact Factor (IF) of 6.25 (2015). MANA’s scores for these indicators are superior to those of many world-class research institutions. The MANA Progress Report consists of two booklets named “Facts and Achievements 2015” and “Research Digest 2015.” This booklet “Facts and Achievements 2015” serves as a summary to highlight the progress of the MANA project. The other booklet “Research Digest 2015” presents MANA research activities. Facts and Achievements 2015 Preface 1 MANA Progress Report Facts and Achievements 2015 1. WPI Progress Report: Executive Summary .....................................4 2. WPI Program and MANA .............................................................9 2.1 World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI) 2.2 MANA, the WPI Research Center at NIMS 3. Organization, Members and International Research Environment of MANA. 16 3.1 MANA Organization and Members 3.2 Attractive International Research Environment 4. Research Activities, Output and Achievements ...............................23 4.1 Research Activities 4.2 Research Output 4.3 Research Achievements 5. Global Nanotechnology Network. 43 5.1 MANA Satellite Network 5.2 International Nanotechnology Research Network 5.3 Partnership with Foreign and Domestic Universities 5.4 Global Career Advancement 2 List of Content Facts and Achievements 2015 6. Enhancement of National and International Recognition .................52 6.1 MANA International Symposium 6.2 MANA Website 6.3 MANA Newsletter 6.4 Outreach Activities 6.5 Media Coverage 6.6 Visitors to MANA 6.7 MANA Scientific Art Pictures 6.8 MANA History 7. Appendix 7.1 MANA Top Management ..................................................................60 7.2 MANA Research Staff .....................................................................61 7.3 MANA Advisors and International Cooperation Advisors. 69 7.4 MANA Evaluation Committee .............................................................70 7.5 MANA Seminars ..........................................................................71 7.6 MANA Research Papers 2015 .............................................................74 7.7 MANA Journal Cover Sheets .............................................................101 7.8 MANA Patents ...........................................................................105 7.9 International Cooperation. 118 7.10 MANA History ...........................................................................119 Facts and Achievements 2015 List of Content 3 1. WPI Progress Report: Executive Summary In June 2016, MANA submitted a WPI Progress Report to the WPI Program Committee. The part entitled World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI) Executive Summary (for Final Evaluation) is reproduced below. Host Institution: National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) Host Institution Head: Kazuhito Hashimoto Research Center: International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA) Center Director: Masakazu Aono World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI) Executive Summary (for Final Evaluation) A. Progress Report of the WPI Center center in Japan. MANA has succeeded in creating an I. Summary almost perfect environment in that it expeditiously In the eight and a half years since it was established, provides administrative and technical support to all MANA has grown to become one of the world’s top MANA researchers, including non-Japanese researchers. research centers in the relevant fields and produced MANA can give back to NIMS the obtained knowhow remarkable results in fields ranging from fundamental and experience of management an international research research to practical applications. center. For example, English-language support for non- MANA’s excellence can be found represented in Japanese researchers within NIMS as a whole has been several key indicators. Among these, A) 118 of MANA’s greatly improved. papers are now among the top 1% most cited papers in the In addition to the WPI program’s four pillars, MANA world; B) MANA has achieved an extremely high score has one extra pillar of its own: the cultivation of young of 2.42 for Elsevier’s Field Weighted Citation Impact researchers. MANA’s systems of independent researchers (FWCI), a new index created to “fairly compare the (approx. 20% of permanent researchers), who pursue their quality of papers published by research institutions that own research topics without belonging to any specific work in different fields” (both A and B refer to statistics group, and ICYS researchers (approx. 20% of post- for papers published between 2008 and 2015); and C) doctoral scholars) have attained remarkable achievements. MANA’s papers are printed in journals with an extremely Since FY 2012, MANA has been defined as one of high average Impact Factor (IF) of 6.25 (2015). MANA’s NIMS’s three research arms, and it is becoming a permanent scores for these indicators are superior to those of many presence within the NIMS research organization. NIMS world-class research institutions. also provides salaries for approximately 90 permanent MANA has a unique characteristic compared to other staff and otherwise provides comprehensive support for materials science laboratories in the world. Its operations MANA in many ways, something that will continue on are based on a new concept: a new nanotechnology into the future. paradigm called “nanoarchitectonics.” This unique concept is the key to MANA’s achievement of its striking II. Items research results. 1. Overall Image of our Center In eight and a half years, MANA has accomplished <Vision and background> much outstanding research. Some representative examples When MANA was launched eight and a half years ago, include a) nanosheet technology and its applications, b) nanotechnology (and the nanoscience on which it is based) atomic switches and related devices, c) various unimolecular was in a state of rapid development and becoming an devices, d) highly efficient photocatalysts, e) highly essential pillar of materials science. It was in this context sensitive / parallel molecular sensors (MSS odor sensors, that we designed MANA with the intention of cultivating a etc.), f) diagnosis and treatment using nanoarchitectonics, world-class research center that would effectively employ g) transmission electron microscopes that can observe nanotechnology to make powerful advances in the research electrical, mechanical, and optical properties under high- and development of new materials. We were strongly aware resolution structural observation, and h) multiple-probe of the common mistake of considering nanotechnology scanning probe microscopes that can measure electrical to be a continuation of conventional microtechnology, conductivity at the nanoscopic scale. and moreover that nanotechnology’s true power cannot Over 50% of the researchers at MANA are non- be effectively harnessed unless nanotechnology is Japanese, making it the most internationalized research properly recognized as being qualitatively different from 4 Chapter 1 Facts and Achievements 2015 microtechnology. Thus, we established MANA’s guiding B) Development of atomic switches and related devices/ vision as “Pioneering a new paradigm of nanotechnology systems: The atomic switch operated by a completely to create a research hub for the best new materials different principle than traditional semiconductor development in the world.” In order to concisely express devices. MANA invented the atomic switch and this new technology paradigm, we coined the concept moved it toward practical application, where it brought of nanoarchitectonics. This concept is described in more innovation to things like AI and IoT. It was also detail in the “Progress Report,” but it serves to distinguish discovered that atomic switches display functionality MANA’s research from other nanotechnology research similar to synapses in the brain, and hence the next institutions. We at MANA are pleased to see that the step is to create neutral network circuits made out of nanoarchitectonics concept has begun to gain approval atomic switches. throughout the world. C) Best high-efficiency artificial photosynthesis in the world: As an example of this, MANA has succeeded <MANA today> in achieving the artificial photosynthesis of methane. MANA was founded on research in four fields—Nano-