Description

INSTITUTE OF NANOSTRUCTURED MATERIALS (ISMN)


The research activities of the ISMN (set up in 2002 by the union of 5 CNR Institutes internationally recognised for the past 20 years) focus on the development of Nanostructures and Nanotechnologies relevant in the fields of semiconductors for optoelectronics and photonics, environmental catalysis, surfaces functionalisation, biomolecules for biosensors and bioelectronic devices
The main aim of ISMN is:
- To implement a scientific skilled aggregation and realize a dynamic structure able to deeply interact with other public and private Research Institutions at national and international level;
- To reach a flexibility and high quality of its scientific and technological know-how considering the most relevant topics in the international framework;
- To realize an high level education activity;
- To improve the dissemination of scientific results and technologies towards other Research Insitutions and Private Companies.
At national level ISMN is coming out in the area of nanoscale materials and deeply interacts with public and private research institutions. It is prime contractor or principal partner in several large-scale National (Italian laws 46/82,297,488/92, PON, FIRS, FISS, FIRB) and Regional (POR of Lazio and Sicilia) Programs, which involve industrial partners and other Public Italian Institutions (ENEA and ASI).
Because of the available expertise together with the updating strategy in the field of interest, the ISMN research activities are very relevant at international level too:i.e the profitable international cooperation, the partnership in 12 EU Projects (some of them ISMN is the leader), the knowledgement of one Research Division as European Center of Excellence for Nano-lithograpy , the presentation at VI European Framework Program of 7 Network of Excellence and 5 Integrated Projects.

Another relevant of ISMN is the Education and Training initiatives:i.e. degree thesis, PhD thesis, young Italian and Europena researchers exchange, Masters in cooperation with Private Companies. Furthermore, Palermo Research Division is Associate Member of the European Foundation for Quality Management. In this framework its Quality College organizes high level managerial training courses on the enterprises development.

Management
Because of the ISMN placing overall the Italian territory, the Institute set up a managing structure, giving an efficient support to the research activities.The Institute is organised in 5 Research Divisions, (Bologna, Montelibretti, Palermo, Roma 1, Roma 2), where the research is carrying on.
Each Division has a managing unit giving support at local level, and the coodination of the managing structure is carried out by the ISMN Director's Office consisting of a Technical Secretariate, an Administration Office, a Personnel Office(12 people involved).


Research Activity
The ISMN research activity belongs to important topics in the field of nanoscale materials and is organised into 6 Research Lines:
1)Organic-based nanostructures for electronics, photonics and related areas;
2)Fabrication of Nanostructured and Nanophase materials;
3)Nanostructures for heterogeneous catalysis;
4)Nanostructured and molecular systems for biomedical application;
5)Nanotechnologies of Multifunctional Materials;
6)Physico-chemival aspects of fundamental processes.

These Research lines cross the Research Divisions of ISMN as follows:
Montelibretti Research Lines 1,2,3,4,6
Bologna Research Lines 1,4,5,6
Palermo Research Lines 3,4
Roma1 Research Line 6
Roma 2 Research Lines 2,4

Each Research Line has a Coordinator in charge, proposing executive annual planning and coordinating the research teams in reaching the goal of the activities.
The researchs are carried on by 48 CNR Researchers, 14 University Professors and 39 Lab technicians.


Dissemination of ISMN's results To help in its task to disseminate its scientific results to industry, the Institute has a dedicated Technology Group (GT)composed by experts in technology transfer field, whose tasks are to:
· Promote initiatives aimed at improving the dissemination of scientific results through relationships with private and public institutions and industry;
· Offer consulting and support in drafting and presenting R&D, pre-
competitive development and training projecs;
· Identify R&D public and private funds;
· Support the researcher in marketing his patents and know how and in general facilitating contact with industry;
· Stimulate the partecipation of researchers in European projects by developing international realtions
· Promote the ISMN Quality System

The GT activities gave as result the financing of 3 ISMN Projects (MIUR -
FAR fund), a direct GT participation to a Project aimed at proposing a technology transfer methodology together with patent marketing actions, funded by Fondazione Cariplo, 2 European Project, as ProtonEurope, the Thematic Network of selected technology transfer Offices funded by Enterprise DG (Gate2Growth initiative) with the task to create a forum for best practise in the field of tecnology transfer.