The Materials Research Facilities Network is a nationwide partnership of the Shared Experimental Facilities (SEFs) supported by the National Science Foundation's Material Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSECs). The MRFN is designed and operated to provide support to researchers and experimental facilities engaged in the broad area of Materials Research in academic, government and industrial laboratories around the world.
The MRFN enhances investigation of material synthesis, characterization, and theory by providing researchers at diverse institutions with unprecedented access to the cutting-edge facilities, instrumentation, techniques, and collaborators available at MRSEC Shared Experimental Facilities, which are geographically spread throughout the United States at major research universities. The MRFN is also the nexus point for the operators, managers, and directors of MRSEC SEFs for documenting best practices, conferring with colleagues, and sharing expertise and tools to enhance and streamline the operation of their shared facilities. Finally, MRFN collects documentation for training and teaching protocols for the instrumentation it supports.
By providing a comprehensive database of instrumentation and personnel, and supporting collaboration among MRSEC facilities, MRFN ensures that the significant investment the nation has placed in its Materials Research infrastructure will be leveraged to maximum efficiency, contributing tangibly to the scientific community's ability to develop the materials of the future.