History

The ISN is an Army-sponsored University-Affiliated Research Center (UARC). It is a product of the Army’s vision to explore the potential power of nanotechnology to enable unprecedented advances in Soldier protection, survivability, and mission capabilities. The ISN was designed to collaborate on basic and early applied research with Army and industry partners, and to enable the rapid and efficient transitioning of promising results.

On March 12, 2002, the Army announced that it had selected MIT’s proposal from a host of submissions by some of the nation’s best colleges and universities, and the ISN was officially founded two days later on March 14, 2002.

The opening ceremony of the ISN’s dedicated facility was held on May 22, 2003. It was attended by Prof. Charles Vest, who was MIT President at the time; as well as then-Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology Claude Bolton; and then-Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Research and Technology/Army Chief Scientist Michael Andrews.

For the first four years of its original five-year contract (ISN-1), the ISN was led by Founding Director Prof. Edwin L. Thomas. After becoming Head of the MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering in 2006, Prof. Thomas stepped down from his leadership position at the ISN and Prof. John D. Joannopoulos was selected to succeed him as Director. 

Prof. Joannopoulos continues as ISN Director, guiding a bold and varied research portfolio that is notable for its efficiency and productivity, pushing forward the state of the art in science and technology for the benefit of the Nation.