From the Director
The James Franck Institute (JFI) is the premier institute in the US for research at the intersection of physics, chemistry, and materials science. The JFI was established after World War II as the Institute for the Study of Metals. The present name was adopted in 1967 to reflect an emerging wider range of research activities. Today, JFI research spans condensed matter physics; physical chemistry; synthetic materials chemistry; atomic, molecular, and optical (AMO) physics; geophysics; and biophysics. The JFI is one of five interdisciplinary institutes of the Physical Sciences Division, and it serves as the home of the University of Chicago Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC), supported by the National Science Foundation.
The JFI is housed in the Gordon Center for Integrative Science. The institute provides a stimulating environment for scientists of different disciplines to interact and aid each other's research, and facilitates collaborations between pre- and postdoctoral researchers and mentors from different academic backgrounds. The intellectual environment in the Institute is further enriched by opportunities to interact with senior scientists, senior research associates, research scientists, and visiting scholars. Active colloquium and seminar series, as well as a more informal weekly bag lunch, stimulate information exchange. The Institute provides office space and state-of-the-art laboratories and operates a number of specialized research facilities, including a low-temperature (cryogenics) laboratory, materials preparation and spectroscopic facilities, scanning probe and electron microscopes, and extensive shop facilities.
In an age where much cutting-edge research lies at the boundaries between traditional disciplines, the James Franck Institute fosters creative interdisciplinary work at the forefront of science.
Margaret L. Gardel
Director
