1 6 4 ▁are ▁recognized ▁by ▁COL CI EN CI AS . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁ 2 7 6 ▁research ▁projects ▁were ▁carried ▁out , ▁with ▁an ▁invest ment ▁total ing ▁$ ▁C OP ▁provided ▁by ▁fifteen ▁national ▁and ▁international ▁entities . ▁ ▁The ▁Ex cell ence ▁Center ▁for ▁Nov el ▁Material s ▁( , ▁C EN M ) ▁is ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁high - p riority ▁national ▁effort , ▁supported ▁primarily ▁by ▁COL CI EN CI AS ▁and ▁implemented ▁by ▁ 1 9 ▁recognized ▁mult id is cipl inary ▁research ▁groups ▁in ▁ 1 0 ▁univers ities ▁across ▁the ▁nation . ▁Additionally , ▁it ▁gets ▁international ▁support ▁from ▁four ▁world - ren owned ▁institutions : ▁The ▁Nan ote chn ology ▁center ▁from ▁North western ▁University , ▁the ▁Th in ▁Film ▁and ▁N anos cience ▁Group ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁California ▁at ▁San ▁Diego , ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Civil ▁and ▁Environment al ▁Engineering ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Michigan , ▁and ▁the ▁Center ▁for ▁Advanced ▁Inter dis cipl inary ▁Research ▁on ▁Material s ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Chile . ▁ ▁Research ▁work ▁at ▁C EN M ▁is ▁organized ▁around ▁ 4 ▁Inter dis cipl inary ▁Research ▁Th emes ▁( IR T ), ▁which ▁are : ▁Advanced ▁Co at ings , ▁Compos ite ▁Material s , ▁N ano - mag net ism , ▁and ▁Sol id ▁State ▁Dev ices , ▁S ens ors , ▁and ▁Mes os cop ic ▁Systems . ▁The ▁center ▁acquired ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁an