Progress Plan for Maintaining Academy Center Certification
World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI)
Host Institution

National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS)

Research Center

International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics

Host Institution Head

Kazuhito Hashimoto

Center Director

Takashi Taniguchi

Administrative Director

Tomonobu Nakayama

Please prepare this application based on the content of your center’s progress report and the progress plan you submitted for the center’s
final evaluation. Summarize the center’s future plans with regard to the following 6 items within three A-4 pages. (Also fill out the
appendices at the end of this form.)

1. Overall Image of Your Center* Describe the Center’s overall image including its current identity.

1-1. MANA background
When MANA was established, nanotechnology (and the nanoscience on which it is based) was ina state of rapid development globally and becoming an essential part of materials science. It was inthis context that we designed MANA with the intention of creating a world-class research center thatwould effectively employ nanotechnology to make powerful advances in the research and developmentof new materials. In designing MANA, we were strongly aware of the common mistake of considering
nanotechnology to be a continuation of conventional microtechnology, and moreover that
nanotechnology’s true power cannot be effectively harnessed unless nanotechnology is properly
recognized as being qualitatively different from microtechnology. The concept of “nanoarchitectonics”
was proposed as a straightforward expression of these truths. Nanoarchitectonics is a newtechnological paradigm built on the following four primary pillars:
1) Create reliable nanomaterials or nanosystems by organizing nanoscale structures (nano-parts)
even with some unavoidable unreliability.
“Unreliability-tolerant reliability”
2) Note that the main players are not individual nanoparts but their interactions, which cause a
new functionality to emerge.
“From nano-functionality to nanosystem-functionality”
3) Recognize unexpected emergent functionalities that can result from assembling or organizing ahuge number of nanoparts.
“More is different”
4) Create a new theoretical field where conventional first principles computations are combinedwith novel bold approximations.
“Truth can be described with plain words”
The concept of nanoarchitectonics is a distinguishing part of MANA’s research and makes MANA
unparalleled among the world’s nanotechnology research institutions.
1-2. MANA: Vision, missions, and organization
MANA’s guiding vision is “Toward a better global future, we pioneer a new paradigm in materials
development on the basis of nanoarchitectonics concept.
The previously proposed four missions are now reformed into the following three missions in place
to achieve this vision:
1. World-leading scientific excellence and recognition in new materials development, based on
nanoarchitectonics: Fusion of interdisciplinary research fields to open up new research fields.
2. Culturing global research environment and an international research collaboration network.
3. Fostering next-generation young research leaders.
1-3. MANA today
Founded on the concept of nanoarchitectonics, today MANA has grown into a world-class research
center that produces much ground-breaking research and attracts global attention.
The present state of MANA can be summarized by the following five points:★ World-class research activities

NIMS - 1
MANA

★
★
★
★

International character due to nearly half of researchers being of foreign nationality
Active fusion research that combines nanotechnology and other fields
Steadily fulfilling its responsibility to reform its host institution, NIMS
Training excellent young researchers who work throughout the world

2. Research Activities* Describe how the center will challenge new research fields and adopt new strategies.

2-1. Research Results to Date
MANA was established for the purpose of establishing a new nanotechnology paradigm based on
the concept of nanoarchitectonics, and to bring about innovation in new materials development
through this paradigm. These objectives are steadily being accomplished. In reality, a number ofconcepts based on nanoarchitectonics have emerged from MANA’s research, including soft chemical
nanoarchitectonics, interface nanoarchitectonics, neuromorphic nanoarchitectonics, topologicalnanoarchitectonics, and in-vivo nanoarchitectonics. Research based on these topics is steadily
progressing.
Here, we describe MANA’s results by several key indicators. In the period of 2007-2020, MANA
has published 5,892 papers till the end of 2020 and, among these, A) 193 of MANA’s papers are now
among the top 1% most cited papers in the world (2007-2020); B) The number of internationallycoauthored papers are 3,195 (47.6 % of published papers in 2008-2016 and 66.6 % in 2017-2020);
and C) MANA’s papers are printed in journals with an extremely high average Impact Factor (IF) of
7.98 (most recent average expected for 2020). MANA’s scores for these indicators are superior tothose of many world-class research institutions.
2-2. Research plan towards the future
MANA will generally continue to maintain and develop the present direction of research in the
future, but it will attempt the following new developments. After analyzing MANA’s researchaccomplishments thus far, the efficacy of two areas was brought into sharp relief: the fusion of“theoretical research and experimental research”, and the creation of nanoarchitectonic perception
by merging “nanotechnology”, “atomic/molecular science”, “informatics” and “mathematics”.
Therefore, these two fusional areas will be the focus of intensive research in the future. In addition
to the above areas, MANA will further strengthen a functionality-oriented research area by setting a
new grand challenge, “Quantum nanoarchitectonics”. Since MANA has developed a variety ofnanomaterials and related characterization techniques, combining various nanomaterials andstructures can be tackled to provide quantum functionalities through nanoarchitectonic systems,
which has been so far lacking in previous research and development because quantum mechanicalphenomena have been studied and explored mainly as a part of physics research.
MANA’s research was divided into five fields: Nano-Materials, Nano-System, Nano-Power, NanoLife and Nano-Theory, and n reformed into three fundamental fields: Nano-Materials, Nano-System,
Nano-Theory in 2017. This simplification gives more freedom to create new ideas based on“Nanoarchitectonics” towards the future. Regarding a newly launched NIMS’s “Quantum Materials”
project of NIMS, MANA will take a leadership of the project but will seek for ground-breaking
outcomes with higher-level of directions by taking actions toward quantum nanoarchitectonics.
The Nano-Theory field will further empower MANA to effectively utilize some of the world’s
most advanced computers (FUGAKU-computer, etc.). However, one of MANA’s most important
objectives is to lead the world to a new paradigm of theoretical research that is free from aprioritization of first-principles calculations over all else. Despite the fact that many interestingnanoscale phenomena are accompanied by excited states, dynamic processes, and many-bodyeffects, contemporary methods of first-principles calculation are not necessarily good at handlingthese elements. To overcome this obstacle, MANA will introduce bold yet appropriate methods ofapproximation to inspire new developments in theoretical research. Further, this will serve topromote the fusion of theoretical and experimental research. Moreover, not only will the field ofNano-Theory serve to fuse theory and experimentation, it will also play a role in promotinginterdisciplinary fusion research among MANA's other two fields of research, both of which haveexperimental research at their core.
Although MANA’s research has thus far been conducted, in accordance with the WPI program’s
basic policy, under the leadership of the former Director Masakazu Aono, Dr. Takayoshi Sasaki(MANA PI of Nano-Materials Field, Fellow of NIMS), has taken over the Director position from April
1st, 2017.
2-3. MANA’s Grand Challenge research themes

NIMS - 2
MANA

MANA has had four Grand Challenge research targets thus far:
★ Nanoarchitectonic artificial brain (since 2007)★ Room-temperature superconductivity (since 2007)★ Practical artificial photosynthesis (since 2007)★ Nanoarchitectonic perception systems (since 2017)
MANA will raise the fifth Grand Challenge target as follows.
★ Quantum nanoarchitectonics (since 2021): This target is to establish materials scienceand technology to control coherence/decoherence and to transfer/transduce quantum information
using nanoscale materials and systems comprising of them. Building fully quantum-based
information processing systems is one of demanded ways to overcome social problems arising fromhuge energy consumption. To achieve this target, MANA will synthesize nanomaterials providing
controllable quantum effects and will explore advanced nanoarchitectonics for achieving functionalbinding between nanocomponents to manipulate and manifest quantized information.
2-4. Research in the fields of Nano-Materials, Nano-System, and Nano-Theory
In the present three research fields, clear distinctions were made between clear opposites:e.g., fundamental vs. applied research, materials vs. systems, and experimental vs. theoretical.
Below are representative examples of the challenging research that will be undertaken in thesethree fields.
Nano-Materials field: This field aims to exploit the science and technology for the creation of
new nanosheet-based materials that MANA has accumulated to date to realize metamaterials (e.g. amaterial not found in nature that possesses a negative refractive index) and room-temperature
superconducting devices by using nanosheets with massive electric permittivity, etc. MANA will also
develop more novel nano-measurement methods to support these kinds of research projects.
Nano-System field: This field aims to use a network of atomic switches to realize the basic
unit of a nanoarchitectonic artificial brain; to achieve the world's first truly monomolecular device; todevelop a new, decoherence-free quantum bit using topological insulators and other quantum
materials; to develop a room temperature superconducting device etc. MANA will also promote thenovel methodologies including multiple-probe SPMs and others not yet established for evaluating
nanosystems.
Nano-Theory field: As mentioned above in “Fusion of theoretical and experimental research,”
MANA aims to develop new theoretical research techniques driven by rare event sampling instead of
the high-level first-principles calculations performed on the world's fastest supercomputer like Kcomputer. MANA will promote the fusion of theory and experimentation in a wide range of research,
including theoretical research into the latest topological insulators.

3. System for Managing the Research Organization* Describe the research organization and management system that the center will use to carry out the research strategy and plan
described above.
* In Appendix 1-3, list the Principle Investigators, enter the number of center personnel, and provide a diagram of the center’s
management system.

MANA has already implemented structural reforms based on the following key points:i) From April 2021 Dr. Takashi Taniguchi becomes the new Director of NIMS-MANA while Dr.
Takayoshi Sasaki remains as the Director of WPI-MANA till completing smooth transfer WPI-MANA
from Dr. Sasaki to Dr. Taniguchi. Deputy Directors of NIMS- and WPI-MANA are Dr. Tomonobu
Nakayama and Dr. Yutaka Wakayama. Dr. Nakayama also takes the responsibility as the
Administrative Director. After Dr. Sasaki resigns from the Director of WPI-MANA, he continues toperform top-level research and to help the new Director, Dr. Taniguchi.
ii) PIs will be replaced to breathe new life into the ranks of PIs. Associate PIs (aPIs) will bepromoted to PIs, and new aPIs will be appointed from young researchers. The performance of all
PIs will be evaluated by professionals from outside MANA.
iii) MANA will maintain its satellites, which have contributed significantly to MANA's
achievements by raising the quality of research, training young researchers, and internationalizing
the center, among other things.
iv) To further activate the Nano-Theory field, MANA will continue a “Theorist-Experimentalist
Pairing Program” or equivalent to enforce the fusion of theoretical and experimental research.
v) Many of MANA’s unique seeds outcomes in Nanoarchitectonics should be consistent withdemands from society. To improve potential matching between seeds and needs and to cultivate

NIMS - 3
MANA

necessary nanoarchitectonics to open routes to demands, MANA will implement “SynthesisCharacterization Pairing” program.
vi) Aiming to achieve the five goals of the MANA Grand Challenges, MANA will strategicallyinvest research resources (e.g., research funds, post-docs etc.) into these topics. MANA will also
invite guest researchers to lead workshops and brainstorming sessions on specific topics.

4. International Circulation of Best Brains* Describe your policy and concrete plan for promoting the international circulation of the world’s best brains, which is an importantfunction of the WPI Academy.

4-1. Participation of top-world researchers from abroad
MANA has established satellite labs (hereinafter “MANA Satellites”) at research institutions towhich satellite PIs (sPIs) belong. MANA Satellites have been established at four institutions: theUniversity of California Los Angeles (UCLA, sPI: Prof. James Gimzewski), the Georgia Institute ofTechnology (GETECH, sPI: Prof. Zhong Lin Wang), the Center for Materials Elaboration and Structural
Studies of French National Centre for Scientific Research (CEMES-CNRS, sPI: Dr. Christian Joachim),
and the University of Montreal(sPI: Prof. Francoise Winnik). These satellites play a role in MANA’s
research in various fields and are also training grounds for young scientists of MANA. MANA willcontinue reforming MANA satellites depending on the progress of MANA’s activity.
4-2. Employment of young researchers at the Center and their job placement after
leaving the Center
Young researchers, mainly fixed-term researchers consisting of doctoral students and postdoctoral scholars, account for more than half of all researchers. In addition to typical post-docs,
MANA keeps a higher position, “ICYS-WPI-MANA researcher.” This is a post-doctoral scholar who is
independent of any specific group and pursues his/her own individual research topics. With this,
MANA can keep close relationship with ICYS which is a center that serves as a tenure-track system
leading to permanent positions of NIMS.
MANA’s policy is not merely to gather young researchers from throughout the world andcultivate them into excellent researchers. Rather, MANA seeks to endow these researchers with athorough understanding of Japan such that they can advance their careers in countries throughout
the world. Till the end of 2020, 413 MANA’s young researchers have “graduated” MANA. 5.3% ofthem were selected for permanent research positions at NIMS and 52.3% became faculty members(professor, associate professor and so on) of universities inside and outside Japan. Also, 17.4% haveadvanced in their careers to become researchers at universities and research institutions, and 18.6%
have moved to private companies. 33.7% of those who made research at MANA found employment
within Japan, and the remaining 60.0% found positions in the world, primarily in Asia. In this way,
there is a growing network of nanotechnology researchers for which MANA is the hub.
4-3. Overseas satellites and other cooperative organizations
Building a network of the world’s nanotech centers with MANA as the hub is one of MANA’sorganizational missions. MANA has to date signed MOUs with 85 research institutions in 24 countries
with which it conducts research and personnel exchange.
In order to strengthen MANA research conducted by PIs at MANA satellites, NIMS/MANA has
established a system through which it provides travel support for the PIs and his/her research
associates. Under this system, NIMS contracts with satellite institutions for joint research andallocates the necessary funds for the satellites from WPI-academy’s and NIMS’s budgets. This results
in a large contribution of the satellites’ activity together with MANA.
4-4. Holding International Symposia, Workshops, Research Meetings and Others
Each MANA international symposium brought over 400 participants and was praised as a fruitful,high-level event. In order to promote discussion between young personnel and the world-leading
researchers at the MANA International Symposium, several awards were presented to young
personnel such as the Best Poster Award and other excellent presentation awards sponsored byacademic organizations and private companies. All invited speakers attend the poster session tograde the posters after engaging in direct discussion with the presenters.
Meanwhile, there are many government agencies, universities, research institutions, and otherorganizations that issue requests for MANA to host research conferences. As a result, country-levelbilateral workshops have been hosted with Canada, Australia, Switzerland, Spain, and Taiwan, while
symposiums have also been conducted with several Japanese and non-Japanese universities.
Furthermore, MANA contributed in training PhD candidates through “Nanotechnology Students’
Summer School” co-organized by UCLA, UCL, Flinders University and other overseas organizations.
MANA will reform such a summer school more open to the world.

NIMS - 4MANA

4-5. System for Supporting the Research Activities of Overseas Researchers
All staff in MANA’s Administrative Office speak English and provide comprehensive Japanese-styleservice to all researchers, regardless of age and nationality. According to one non-Japanese
researcher, “Although I have worked at several institutions in America and Europe, MANA provides
the best research environment.”
4-6. Others
In terms of acquiring and training young researchers, both independent researchers who do notbelong to any specific group and the ICYS researcher system have made notable achievements. In
particular, the 3D System (Triple Double: double-mentor, double-discipline, double affiliation system)
serves to promote diligent study by young researchers overseas by allowing such researchers to
pursue interdisciplinary, fusion research under first-tier mentors. This system is now mainly applied
to independent scientists not only in MANA but also in NIMS. Also, MANA promotes short-term
dispatch program to perform research at major research institutions overseas as an effective way ofinternationalize young Japanese researchers.
Thus, MANA plays an important role in NIMS’s effort to build an international research center, and
MANA’s efforts to create global environment where non-Japanese researchers can succeed wasfeatured as a “best practice” case study in the 2014 White Paper on Science and Technology.

5. Support by Host institution* Describe measures that the host institution will take to support and sustain your WPI center. Describe your strategy for extending thesystem reforms achieved by the center via the WPI program to the host institution and other institutions.

For sustaining and advancing MANA as a World Premier International Research Center, NIMS
has promised to provide MANA with the following supports and to continue its basic activities.
i) Approximately 90 core members, including principal investigators, associate principal investigators,
group leaders, MANA researchers, independent researchers and administrative staff will be kept
assigned to MANA as “permanent employees of NIMS assigned to MANA.”As of January 1st, 2020, MANA has a total of 87 permanent staff.
ii) R&D expenses required to sustain basic and fundamental research at MANA such as research project
expenses, facility utilities, and other expenses necessary in performing fundamental / foundational
research and for WPI center operation will be contributed out of NIMS’s management expenses.
iii) Post-doctoral scholars and other fixed-term staff are hired using NIMS’s special funds to the Directorof MANA and various external funding.
iv) A part of programs characteristic of MANA—such as young researcher training programs (ICYSMANA, independent scientist, etc.) —was already transferred to and implemented at NIMS to ensuresustainability of the WPI programs.
v) NIMS keeps technical support that have been of especially high quality developed in MANA.
vi) NIMS established the Materials Open Platform which provides opportunity to work with external
institutions especially with private companies. Also, NIMS helps international networking of MANA
through Materials Global Center for sustainable operation of MANA.

6. Financial Measures* In Appendix 4, describe the measures to be taken by the host institution for sustaining the center’s functions and activities over a periodof 5 years, and describe what external funding will be used to carry out the center’s research activities.

NIMS plans to maintain the MANA research workforce of about 90 permanent staffs (scientists,
engineers and administration staffs) as a WPI center. Also, NIMS plans to maintain or even increase
the size of MANA by hiring several permanent researchers every year.
NIMS has allocated the two buildings to MANA: MANA Building (12,934m2) in October 2008 and
WPI-MANA Building (7,629m2) in April 2012. NIMS renovated an old building (519m2) adjacent to the
two MANA Buildings and reopened it as Theoretical Research Building in April 2014. NIMS allocatesthis building to MANA in April 2016 when NIMS moves a large part of theoreticians from NIMS’s
Computational Materials Science Unit to the new Nano-Theory Field of MANA. NIMS keeps allocatingthese buildings and facilities to MANA.
MANA continues tremendous efforts to increase the amount of funding from external sources, suchas CREST, PRESTO, and Kakenhi grants by promoting strategic research collaborations between MANA
and major universities in Japan. Also, MANA will explicitly participate in the NIMS’s strategy to realize
open-innovation with private companies to increase investment from the companies.

NIMS - 5
MANAAppendix 2

FY 2021 List of Principal Investigators
NOTE:*Underline names of principal investigators who belong to an overseas research institution.
*Indicate newly added researchers in FY 2021 (2021.4.1-2021.7.1) in the “Notes” column.

<Principal Investigators as of July 1, FY2021>
Name

Director

Takashi Taniguchi

Deputy Director/
Administrative Director

Tomonobu Nakayama

Takayoshi Sasaki

Yusuke Yamauchi

Age

61

59

Affiliation(Position title, department,
organization)

Academic degree, Effort
Specialty(%)*

Ph.D. in Engineering,
Director
Tokyo Institute ofInternational Center for Materials
Technology, 1987,
Nanoarchitectonics (MANA) , National High Pressure Materials
Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) Science
Deputy Director/Administrative
Ph.D. in Physics,
Director,
The University ofTokyo, 1999,
International Center for Materials
Nanoarchitectonics (MANA) , National Scanning Probe
Microscopy
Institute for Materials Science (NIMS)

International Center for Materials
Nanoarchitectonics (MANA),
National Institute for Materials
Science (NIMS)

Ph.D. in Science,
The University ofTokyo, 1985,
Nanosheet and Soft
Chemistry

40

Professor, Australian Institute for
Bioengineering and Nanotechnology(AIBN), The University of Queensland

Ph.D. in Engineering,
Waseda University,
2007,
Inorganic Synthetic
Chemistry, Inorganic
Materials Chemistry

59

International Center for Materials
Tech., 1990,
Nanoarchitectonics (MANA) , National Supramolecular
Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) Chemistry and Surface

66

Principal Investigators Total: 25
Starting date ofparticipation

Status of participation(Describe in concrete terms)

100

4/1/2020

usually stays at the center100

10/1/2008

usually stays at the center100

10/1/2007

usually stays at the center

20

Independent
Scientist:
10/1/2007
PI: 4/1/2016

stays at the center several
times a year, usually stays at
UQ(Cross-appointed with UQ /MANA)

10/1/2007

stays at the center(Cross-appointed with The
University of Tokyo / MANA)

4/1/2017

usually stays at The
University of Tokyo, stays at
the center several days amonth(Cross-appointed with MANA

Ph.D., Tokyo Inst.

Katsuhiko Ariga

80

Science

Junichi Takeya

Takao Mori

54

Professor, Department of Advanced Ph.D. in Physics, The
Materials Science, Graduate School of University of Tokyo,
2001, Organic
Frontier Sciences,semiconductors
The University of Tokyo

54

Research Center for Functional
Materials, National Institute forMaterials Science (NIMS)

50International Center for Materials
University of Tsukuba,
Nanoarchitectonics (MANA) , National 1998, Semiconductor
Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) physics andPh.D. in Science, The
University of Tokyo,
1996,
Materials Science, Solid
State Chemistry &Physics

20

40

Ph.D. in Engineering,

Naoki Fukata

Jinhua Ye

Kazuya Terabe

Kazuhito Tsukagoshi

MANA Scientist:stays at the center10/1/2008
PI: 4/1/2016

100

Independent
Scientist:
10/1/2007
PI: 4/1/2018

usually stays at the center

58

Ph.D., The University ofInternational Center for Materials
Tokyo, 1990,
Nanoarchitectonics (MANA) , National Photocatalyst, EcoInstitute for Materials Science (NIMS) materials

100

10/1/2007

usually stays at the center

58

International Center for Materials
Nanoarchitectonics (MANA) , National
Institute for Materials Science (NIMS)

Ph.D. in Materials
Science, Nagoya
Institute of Technology,
1992,
Nanoionics, Solid StateElectrochemistry and
Nanoferroelectronics

100

53

International Center for Materials
Ph.D., Osaka
Nanoarchitectonics (MANA) , National University, 1995,
Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) Nano Electronics

59

International Center for Materials
University of Tokyo,
Nanoarchitectonics (MANA) , National 1990,
Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) Condensed Matterengineering

Note

MANA Scientist:
10/1/2008
usually stays at the center
PI: 4/1/2016

100

1/1/2009

usually stays at the center100

10/1/2007

usually stays at the center

100

4/1/2016

usually stays at the center100

Independent
Scientist:
10/1/2007
PI: 4/1/2017

usually stays at the center

Ph.D. in Physics, The

Xiao Hu

Physics

Ph.D., Yokohama City

Yoshihiko Takano

56International Center for Materials
University, 1995,
Nanoarchitectonics (MANA) , National Superconducting
Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) Materials,

Nanomaterials, Physics

Tadaaki Nagao

54

International Center for Materials
Nanoarchitectonics (MANA) , National
Institute for Materials Science (NIMS)

Ph.D., Waseda
University, 1995,
Surface and Interface
Nanoscale Physics,
Plasmonics, Nanoscale
Materials Optics

NIMS - 1

MANA

Appendix 2

Name

Tsuyoshi Miyazaki

Age

Affiliation(Position title, department,
organization)

55

Ph.D., The University ofInternational Center for Materials
Tokyo, 1995
Nanoarchitectonics (MANA) , National first-principles
Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) calculation

51

Center for Green Research on Energy Tokyo, 1998,
and Environmental Materials, National Condensed-matter
Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) Theory, Computational

Academic degree, Effort
Specialty(%)*

Starting date ofparticipation

Status of participation(Describe in concrete terms)

100

4/1/2016

usually stays at the center5

Independent
Scientist:
10/1/2007
PI: 7/19/2016

stays at the center10

10/1/2007

stays at the center several
times a year, usually at GT
satellite

20

10/1/2007

stays at the center several
times a year, usually at UCLA
satellite

Ph.D., The University of

Yoshitaka Tateyama

Physical Chemistry
Ph.D. in Physics,

Zhong Lin Wang

59

Professor, School of Materials Science Arizona State
University, 1987,
and Engineering,
Emerging Devices for
Georgia Institute of Technology
Energy Generation

James K. Gimzewski

Christian Joachim

David R. Bowler

Thomas E. Mallouk

Gero Decher

Dmitri Golberg

69

Professor, Chemistry andBiochemistry,
University of California, Los Angeles

Ph.D. in Physical
Chemistry,
University ofStrathclyde, 1977,
Neuromorphic Network

63

Professor, CEMES,
Centre National de la Recherche
Scientifique (CNRS)

Ph.D. in Applied
Mathematics,
Ph.D. in Quantum
Physics, Molecular
Device Engineering

20

10/1/2007

stays at the center several
times a year, usually at CNRS
satellite

50

Professor, Department of Physics &Astronomy,
University College London

Ph.D., University of
Oxford, 1997, Largescale Order-N DFT
Calculations

20

API: 4/1/2013
PI: 4/1/2016

stays at the center several
times a year, usually at UCL
satellite

66

Professor, Department of Chemistry,
University of Pennsylvania

Ph.D. in Chemistry,
University of California,
Berkeley, 1983,
Nanoscale Chemistry

10/5/2018

stays at the center several
times a year, usually at
University of Pennsylvania
satellite

64

Professor, the Faculty of Chemistry,
University of Strasbourg

Ph.D., Johannes
Gutenberg University
Mainz, 1986, Fazzy
Assembly

2/1/2019

stays at the center several
times a year, usually at
University of Strasbourg
satellite

60

Professor, Science and Engineering
Faculty, School of Chemistry &Physics, Queensland University ofTechnology

Ph.D. Moscow Institutefor Ferrous Metallurgy,
1990,
Nanotubes andnanowires

10/1/2007

stays at the center several
times a year, usually stays at
QUT

10

10

20

Note

*Percentage of time that the principal investigator devotes to his/her work for the Academy center vis-à-vis his/her total working hours.

Principal Investigators resigned since FY 2021
Name

Next Affiliation(Position title, department,
organization)

Period of participation

Taizo Sasaki

Chief Researcher, Center for Green
Research on Energy andEnvironmental Materials, National
Institute for Materials Science (NIMS)

Minoru Osada

Professor, Institute of Materials andSystems for Sustainability (IMaSS),
Nagoya University

MANA Scientist: 10/1/2007
PI: 4/1/2016(Until 12/31/2017)

Toyohiro Chikyow

Deputy Director, Research and Services
Division of Materials Data andIntegrated System, National Institutefor Materials Science (NIMS)

MANA Scientist: 10/1/2007
PI: 4/1/2011(Until 4/1/2018)

Françoise M. Winnik

N/A: passed away on 2/13/2021

4/1/2016(Until 6/1/2017)

4/1/2011(Unitl 2/13/2021)

NIMS - 2

MANA

Appendix 3

World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI)
Diagram of management system

NIMS -1

MANA

Vision of MANA's New Director
Host Institution: National Institute for Material Science (NIMS)WPI Center: International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA)
Head of Host Institution: HASHIMOTO Kazuhito
Center Director: TANIGUCHI Takashi
Administrative Director: NAKAYAMA Tomonobu
MANA has as its vision leading the world in the development of new materials by pioneering
the new technological paradigm of “Nanoarchitectonics.” In this pursuit, MANA has three
missions:
1.

Fuse interdisciplinary fields in advancing research on developing new materials baseon the new concept of “Nanoarchitectonics.”

2.

Cultivate a research environment that assembles researchers from around the worldand build international networks for promoting research collaboration

3.

Foster courageous young researchers who will boldly tackle challenging research
topicsAs it works toward achieving the above three missions, MANA has evolved into aninternational research center while focusing on the following five points.
- World-class research activities- International persona characterized by nearly half of its researchers being foreign
nationals- Actively implementing fused research that combines nanotechnology with other fields- Contributing to the reform of the host institution, NIMS
- Fostering excellent young researchers capable of working throughout the world
As we move forward, MANA will continue to maintain these principles.
MANA’s management system has a 3-executive framework: the center director,
administrative director, and deputy center director. While maintaining a consensus-based
approach in operating the center’s program, each of their responsibilities is clearlydelineated. When deemed needed, additional guidance may be sought from Executive
Advisor Aono and former Center Director Sasaki.
MANA’s current research structure comprises three fields, 23 groups, 2 teams, independent
researchers, and ICYS-WPI-MANA fellows. Plans are to maintain this scale into the future.

In the short term, adjustments may be made as needed in pursuit of the center’s goals,
including creating new groups, moving people from other centers to MANA, andaugmenting personnel. In NIMS’s next medium- to long-term plan, there is a goal to realize
MANA’s optimal structure from a long-term perspective of 10 years from now.
The trajectory of MANA’s research involves further pursuit and advancement of
Nanoarchitectonics, along with the creation, integration and hierarchical structuring of new
nanomaterials, carried out with emphasis on collaboration between experimental andtheoretical approaches and on expansion to large-scale and complex systems. Its new
trajectory includes strengthening the coordinative framework between new materials
creation and functional evaluation, and contributing to research on quantum materials andAI materials.
MANA has set long-term research goals, which it calls “Grand Challenges.” They are as
follows:- Nanoarchitectonic artificial brain- Room-temperature superconductivity- Practical artificial photosynthesis- Nanoarchitectonic perception system
We are adding a new research goal to these four challenges: Quantum materials.
The innovation of quantum technology needed to realize quantum computing,communications, sensing and other quantum applications is considered a critical S&T
challenge in advancing to the next generation of technologies. With long-term goals fordeveloping new materials spawned by its basic concept of Nanoarchitectonics, MANA
intends to contribute to quantum materials development by achieving technologicalbreakthroughs.
With a goal of further enhancing its operation, MANA is moving forward in restructuring its
framework of satellites, which have already contributed significantly to MANA’s
achievement in raising research quality, training young researchers, and internationalizing
its center. MANA will continue to maintain the system it has built for promotinginternational collaboration, including carrying out join research based on MoUs, dispatchingresearchers and students to other countries and inviting them to Japan, and holding
international symposiums and workshops. While proactively carrying forward MANA’s on-

going strategies, we will adjust them flexibly in response to such things as the onset of viral
pandemics and changing export regulations.
Center director Taniguchi has been engaged in basic research on organic materials
development at the National Institute for Research in Inorganic Materials, the predecessor
of NIMS, for a period of more than 30 years from 1989. What he has learned from his
experience is that global perspectives are important is attaining research originality and that
long-term patience in needed in achieving breakthroughs in materials research. Thus, itremains important that environments be established in which research can be perused
patiently, without regard to prevailing trends. It is particularly important to continue
providing such environments for talented young researchers.
Considered “products of chance,” research outputs can crop up in directions unanticipatedby the researchers. The importance of innovation has been increasingly recognized overrecent years. Now, it will be necessary to create a research system that is further innovatedto accommodate the inevitable occurrence of serendipity.
MANA has its own unique research methods. Its many talented researchers, each with theirown focus, are advancing the creation of new materials. However, insights when looking into
the functional expression of newly developed materials may not always be sufficiently
accurate, especially with scenarios that extend beyond the researchers’ own specialized
fields. Up to now, new materials development has been advanced at MANA by harmonizing
researchers in experimental and theoretical fields. Now, we’d like to accelerateinterdisciplinary research in a way that transcends the specialized fields of synthesis andevaluation/analysis.
Against a backdrop of research accomplishments, what has attributed to MANA’s goodinternational appraisal are the research and leadership systems created by the former Center
Director Sasaki. Inheriting his vision, we will continue working to build even further MANA
as a global research institute.