Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials

What Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials does

Princeton Materials Institute (PMI) is an interdisciplinary academic research institute within Princeton University, established in 1990 and governed by the Trustees of Princeton University. PMI organizes research across five scientific directions: Advanced Manufacturing and Integration for Scalable Structures, Living and Soft Materials, Natural and Engineered Materials for Energy, Environment, and Sustainability, Optical Materials and Light Matter Interactions, and Quantum Materials Science. The institute coordinates over 80 affiliated faculty members from more than a dozen Princeton departments and houses the Princeton Center for Complex Materials (PCCM), an NSF Materials Research Science and Engineering Center continuously funded since 1994. PMI operates three shared core facilities: the Imaging and Analysis Center (IAC) for materials and structural characterization including cryo-EM and scanning probe microscopy; the Micro/Nanofabrication Center (MNFC) housed in the 129,000 sq. ft. Andlinger Building with over 15,000 sq. ft. of ISO 5-7 cleanroom space; and the Advanced Micro Assembly & Packaging (AMAP) center offering single-digit micron accuracy component integration.

PMI delivers educational programming including an MSE Minor Program for undergraduates, direct and joint Ph.D. programs with six departments (Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chemistry, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Geosciences, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering), and a recurring PMI/PCCM Seminar Series. Its revenue model combines federal research grants (NSF MRSEC, AFOSR, ONR), State of New Jersey funding, industry-sponsored research collaborations with Fortune 500 firms and startups, and fee-for-service core facility access charged on a usage basis with tiered pricing for industrial, internal Princeton, external academic, and undergraduate users. Industry engagement is formalized through annual symposiums (2021-2026), the External Advisory Council, the Proposal and Project Administration service, and startup translation activities including Andluca Technologies, Uniformity Labs, Prasili, Paragon Pure, and Princeton NuEnergy.

Name

Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials

Legal name

The Trustees of Princeton University

Website

https://materials.princeton.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Princeton Materials Institute is an interdisciplinary academic research institute within Princeton University that coordinates over 80 affiliated faculty, three shared core facilities (IAC, MNFC, AMAP), and educational programs spanning undergraduate minors to Ph.D., serving academic researchers, industrial scientists, and startups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Materials Science Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

STEM-Focused Research Universities (Engineering & Applied Sciences) (EDAHABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Engineering & Technology Institutes (Comprehensive) (EDAHAEAA)

Keywords

• Materials science research
• Nanofabrication services
• Electron microscopy analysis
• Materials engineering education
• Quantum materials research

Headquarters

HQ city

Princeton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Research Funding: Research supported by government agencies (State and Federal including NSF Materials Research Science and Engineering Center program), industries, and foundations. Princeton Center for Complex Materials (PCCM) is funded by NSF MRSEC program.
2. Core Facilities Access Fees: External users pay hourly rates for access to IAC and MNFC facilities. Industrial users are charged competitive rates compared to commercial laboratories while academic users have different pricing tiers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Princeton Materials Institute is an interdisciplinary academic research institute at Princeton University that conducts fundamental and applied materials science research across five focus areas (advanced manufacturing, living/soft materials, energy/sustainability materials, optical materials, and quantum materials). It operates shared core research facilities — the Imaging and Analysis Center (IAC), Micro/Nanofabrication Center (MNFC), and Advanced Micro Assembly & Packaging (AMAP) — open to academic and industrial users on a fee-for-service basis, and delivers educational programs including an MSE Minor, a direct Ph.D., and joint Ph.D. programs with six affiliated departments.

Product overview

Princeton Materials Institute (PMI) operates as an academic research institute offering educational programs and shared research facilities. The educational portfolio includes an MSE Minor Program for undergraduates and Ph.D. programs (direct and joint degree options) across six affiliated departments. The core facilities encompass the Imaging and Analysis Center for characterization, the Micro/Nanofabrication Center for device fabrication, and the Advanced Micro Assembly & Packaging center for precision component integration. PMI also houses the Princeton Center for Complex Materials (PCCM), an NSF MRSEC supporting interdisciplinary research, and facilitates industry engagement through startup company support and the PMI/PCCM Seminar Series.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Princeton Center for Complex Materials (PCCM): NSF-supported Materials Research Science and Engineering Center dedicated to pushing frontiers of complexity in materials science.

Products and services

• MSE Minor Program Formal undergraduate minor program in Materials Science and Engineering. Students take core courses within the Institute combined with electives from affiliated departments and participate in faculty-led research. Targeted at Princeton undergraduates from science and engineering departments.
• Materials Science and Engineering Ph.D. Program Five-year doctoral degree program for students with undergraduate training in materials science who wish to be identified as materials scientists and engineers. Leverages PMI faculty expertise across interdisciplinary research areas.
• Joint Ph.D. Program Joint Ph.D. degree programs offered with participating academic departments including Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chemistry, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Geosciences, and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.
• Imaging and Analysis Center (IAC) Multi-user central research facility offering materials and structural characterization services including scanning and transmission electron microscopy (including environmental SEM and cryo-EM), focused ion beams, scanning probe microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Available on a fee-for-service basis to Princeton community and external academic and industrial users.
• Micro/Nanofabrication Center (MNFC) Shared research facility housed in the 129,000-square-foot Andlinger Building with over 15,000 sq. ft. of ISO 5-7 cleanroom space for designing, fabricating, prototyping and testing micro and nano structures and devices. Handles substrates from silicon to flexible metal and plastic foils. Open to academic and industrial users.
• Advanced Micro Assembly & Packaging (AMAP) Specialized center for precise assembly, bonding, and alignment of micro-miniature components with single-digit micron accuracy. Supports electronics, photonics, aerospace MEMS integration, and semiconductor packaging including die bonding, wire bonding, and flip-chip bonding.
• Princeton Center for Complex Materials (PCCM) NSF-funded Materials Research Science and Engineering Center bringing together over 30 faculty from six departments supporting three Interdisciplinary Research Groups focused on topological phases, polymer dynamics, and quantum materials. Includes educational outreach programs such as REU and teacher programs.
• PMI/PCCM Seminar Series Regular seminar series inviting speakers from academic institutions, industry and government laboratories to address interdisciplinary research and development areas, enhancing the educational experience of graduate students and the broader PMI community.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 700 industrial scientists from more than 100 companies have utilized IAC instruments, leading to innovations and new product developments
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Andluca TechnologiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrinceton faculty startup designing transparent thin-film power sources that convert UV light into energy for smart windows and IoT devices.
• Uniformity LabsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner3D printing startup translating Princeton innovations into widespread use, raised $38 million in funding.
• Fortune 500 FirmsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMany Fortune 500 companies have benefited from PMI's expertise and cutting-edge equipment for research and development.
• Small StartupsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStartups like Paragon Pure (healthy food alternatives) and Princeton NuEnergy (lithium-ion battery recycling) have worked with PMI facilities.
• PrasiliminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAll-natural skincare products company founded by four Princeton scientists using patented technologies and materials science.
• MIT.nanominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExternal Advisory Council member Vladimir Bulović serves as Professor/Director of MIT.nano for industry collaboration benchmarking.
• Southeastern Universities Research Association (SURA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExternal Advisory Council member Sean J. Hearne serves as President and CEO of SURA.
• Penn ChemistryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExternal Advisory Council member Thomas E. Mallouk serves as Professor/Chair at Penn Chemistry.
• BPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExternal Advisory Council member Cynthia Pierre serves as Portfolio Manager at BP.
• Activate BostonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExternal Advisory Council member Daniel Recht serves as Managing Director of Activate Boston.
• Amcor Rigid PackagingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExternal Advisory Council member Eric V. Roegner serves as EVP at Amcor Rigid Packaging and is PMI Advisory Council Chair.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Penn (University of Pennsylvania) Materials Science / Penn MRSEC: Penn hosts the Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter (LRSEM), an NSF MRSEC, with affiliated faculty across engineering and natural sciences departments—structurally parallel to PCCM and explicitly tied to PMI via Advisory Council member Thomas Mallouk.
• University of Chicago Materials Research Science and Engineering Center: UChicago MRSEC is a peer NSF-funded center supporting interdisciplinary materials research groups, with affiliated educational and outreach programs that mirror PCCM's structure and funding model.
• Northwestern Materials Research Science and Engineering Center: Northwestern MRSEC combines interdisciplinary research groups, shared facilities, and educational programs within a leading private research university—directly comparable to PMI's organizational and funding structure.
• MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE): MIT DMSE is the closest direct peer—a top-tier university materials science and engineering department with affiliated shared nanofabrication facilities (MIT.nano) and a similarly interdisciplinary faculty spanning physics, chemistry, and engineering. Both train PhD/MS students and serve as anchor nodes of NSF MRSEC-funded research.
• Harvard Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering / Harvard MRSEC: Harvard MRSEC supports interdisciplinary research groups and shared facilities at Harvard's School of Engineering, offering a near-identical combination of NSF MRSEC funding, materials research thrust areas, and industry engagement.
• UC Berkeley Materials Science and Engineering / Berkeley MRSEC: Berkeley's MSE department houses an MRSEC and offers shared nanofabrication/characterization tools to academic and industrial users, mirroring PMI's model of combining research, education, and facility services.
• Stanford Materials Science and Engineering / Stanford Nano Shared Facilities (SNF): Stanford MSE operates the Stanford Nano Shared Facilities (SNF) and is supported by an MRSEC; the model of combining a materials research institute, educational programs, and paid-access core nanofabrication/characterization facilities is structurally identical to PMI.
• Cornell Materials Science and Engineering / Cornell NanoScale Science and Technology Facility (CNF): Cornell's CNF is a long-standing shared nanofabrication facility serving academic and industrial users, paired with an MSE department offering graduate and undergraduate programs—matching PMI's dual education-and-facility operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Argonne National Laboratory (Materials Science Division): Argonne is a DOE-funded national laboratory with much broader scope than PMI, but its Materials Science Division operates shared characterization tools and runs user programs that compete for the same industrial and academic user base.
• Brookhaven National Laboratory (CFN & NSLS-II): Brookhaven's Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN) and NSLS-II beamlines are major DOE user facilities providing advanced materials characterization and nanofabrication, overlapping with PMI's IAC and MNFC capabilities for industrial and academic users.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/PrincetonMSE
• Facebookfacebook.com/PrincetonMSE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/princeton-university

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials