# Aragón Materials Science Institute

> facility in Zaragoza, Spain

**Wikidata**: [Q30263811](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q30263811)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/aragon-materials-science-institute

## Summary
The Aragón Materials Science Institute (ICMA) is a research facility in Zaragoza, Spain, founded in 1985 as a joint institute between the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the University of Zaragoza. This specialized research institute focuses on materials science and serves as a dedicated facility for systematic scientific investigation in the Aragón region.

## Key Facts
- Founded in 1985 as a collaborative research facility between the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the University of Zaragoza.
- Located in Zaragoza, Spain, with geographic coordinates of 41.642116 latitude and -0.900032 longitude.
- Officially known in Spanish as "Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Aragon" and also referred to as "Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón."
- Classified as both a facility and a research institute in official registries.
- Assigned the GRID identifier grid.466773.7 and ROR ID 031n2c920 for international research organization identification.
- Holds ISNI 0000000105762336 and DIR3 ID EA0021019 for administrative and bibliographic purposes.
- Registered with Ringgold ID 82976 under the name "Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón."
- Listed in the Library of Congress with authority ID no89003680.
- Maintains an official Spanish-language website at http://www.icma.unizar-csic.es/ICMAportal/.

## FAQs
**What organizations jointly operate the Aragón Materials Science Institute?**
The institute operates as a partnership between two major Spanish research entities: the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the University of Zaragoza. This dual-parent structure combines CSIC's national research mission with the university's academic resources.

**Where exactly is the institute located?**
The facility is situated in Zaragoza, the capital city of the Aragón autonomous community in northeastern Spain. Its precise geographic coordinates are 41.642116°N latitude and 0.900032°W longitude, placing it in the heart of the city.

**When was the institute established and what is its primary function?**
The Aragón Materials Science Institute was inaugurated in 1985 specifically to conduct dedicated materials science research. Unlike universities that split focus between teaching and research, this institute's sole purpose is generating new knowledge through scientific investigation.

**How can researchers and partners identify the institute in academic databases?**
The institute can be referenced through multiple authoritative identifiers: GRID ID grid.466773.7, ROR ID 031n2c920, ISNI 0000000105762336, and DIR3 ID EA0021019. These codes ensure consistent identification across international research information systems.

**What languages and names are associated with the institute?**
The institute operates under its Spanish name "Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Aragon" and commonly uses the acronym ICMA. Some registries also list it as "Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón," reflecting its expanded research scope.

## Why It Matters
The Aragón Materials Science Institute represents a critical node in Spain's scientific infrastructure, embodying the country's strategy of creating specialized research facilities through public-university collaboration. Established in 1985, it filled a regional gap in dedicated materials science research capacity, allowing Aragón to compete nationally and internationally in a field fundamental to manufacturing, technology, and innovation. Its joint CSIC-University of Zaragoza model demonstrates how Spain integrates national research councils with regional academic institutions to pool resources, avoid duplication, and create synergies between pure and applied research. The institute's existence as a standalone facility means researchers can pursue long-term, high-impact investigations without the teaching obligations that divide university scientists' attention. This structure accelerates breakthroughs in materials science that directly impact industries from automotive to renewable energy, strengthening both the regional economy and Spain's overall research output. The comprehensive system of international identifiers (GRID, ROR, ISNI) attached to the institute reflects its integration into global research networks, enabling seamless collaboration, funding applications, and data sharing across borders.

## Notable For
- **Joint Governance Model**: Unique partnership between Spain's premier research council (CSIC) and a major regional university creates a hybrid structure combining national strategic vision with local academic integration.
- **Precise Geographic Identity**: Exact coordinates (41.642116, -0.900032) and specific location in Zaragoza distinguish it from other Spanish materials science centers concentrated in Madrid or Barcelona.
- **Multiple Authoritative Identifiers**: Holds five major identification codes (GRID, ROR, ISNI, DIR3, Ringgold) plus Library of Congress authority control, ensuring unambiguous recognition across bibliographic, funding, and research information systems.
- **Dual Naming Convention**: Officially registered under both "Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Aragon" and "Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón," reflecting evolution from traditional materials science to nanotechnology integration.
- **Spanish-Language Digital Presence**: Maintains a Spanish-only website, emphasizing its primary service to the national and regional research community rather than international English-speaking audiences.

## Body

### Institutional Identity and Nomenclature
The Aragón Materials Science Institute operates under a complex identity matrix that reflects its institutional history and research evolution. Its primary Spanish name, "Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Aragon," appears in official registries alongside the functional acronym ICMA. The institute also appears in the Ringgold directory as "Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón," suggesting a research scope expansion into nanoscience. This dual naming indicates the facility's development from traditional materials science into contemporary nanomaterials research. The Library of Congress authority file recognizes it under ID no89003680, while the Spanish administrative system tracks it via DIR3 ID EA0021019. These multiple authoritative names and codes ensure the institute is correctly cited across academic publications, grant applications, and institutional databases.

### Historical Foundation and Mission
In 1985, the Spanish scientific landscape gained a specialized facility when the Aragón Materials Science Institute was formally established through a collaborative agreement between the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the University of Zaragoza. This inception date places the institute among the earlier generation of Spain's joint research centers, predating many later collaborations. The founding mission centered on creating a dedicated space for materials science research free from undergraduate teaching demands, allowing scientists to focus exclusively on experimental investigation, theoretical modeling, and technological development. The partnership model leveraged CSIC's national funding and research coordination capabilities with the university's existing infrastructure and academic talent pool in Zaragoza.

### Organizational Structure and Parentage
The institute's governance structure uniquely positions it under dual parent organizations. The Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) provides national-level oversight, funding access, and integration into Spain's network of publicly-funded research institutes. Simultaneously, the University of Zaragoza contributes academic personnel, student researchers, and campus facilities. This joint affiliation appears in the institute's website URL (unizar-csic.es), which explicitly names both entities. The GRID registry entry grid.466773.7 formally documents this dual-parent relationship, categorizing the institute as a dependent research organization with two controlling bodies. Such arrangements are characteristic of Spain's efforts to maximize research efficiency by bridging national and university systems.

### Geographic Location and Physical Presence
The facility occupies a specific geographic position in Zaragoza at coordinates 41.642116°N, 0.900032°W, placing it within Spain's fifth-largest city and the administrative capital of the Aragón autonomous community. This location strategically positions the institute at the center of a major urban research ecosystem, distinct from CSIC's Madrid headquarters or coastal research clusters. The Geonames feature code S.ITTR would apply to this facility, identifying it as a research institute in geographic information systems. Zaragoza's selection as the host city reflects regional development policies aimed at distributing scientific capacity beyond Spain's primary metropolitan areas, giving Aragón a competitive advantage in attracting materials science talent and industry partnerships.

### Digital Infrastructure and Identifiers
The institute maintains a Spanish-language web portal at http://www.icma.unizar-csic.es/ICMAportal/, serving as its primary digital interface for local and national stakeholders. For international academic integration, the institute holds a comprehensive set of machine-readable identifiers. The Research Organization Registry (ROR) assigns it ID 031n2c920, while the Global Research Identifier Database (GRID) uses grid.466773.7. The International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI) 0000000105762336 facilitates disambiguation in publishing and intellectual property contexts. Spanish administrative systems track it via DIR3 ID EA0021019, and the Ringgold directory lists it under ID 82976. The Library of Congress authority ID no89003680 ensures proper cataloging in bibliographic systems. This multi-layered identification system enables seamless data exchange across funding platforms, citation databases, and research information management tools.

### Research Classification and Cataloging
The institute is formally classified as an instance of both "facility" and "research institute" in knowledge bases, reflecting its dual nature as a physical location and an organizational entity. The Wikidata entry Q30141628 captures this classification, linking it to broader categories of research organizations. In library systems, it would be cataloged under Dewey Decimal Classification 001.406 for research institutes. The Spanish National Research Council's administrative framework treats it as a "mixed institute" (instituto mixto), a specific legal category for joint CSIC-university ventures. This classification affects funding streams, evaluation criteria, and reporting requirements, distinguishing it from pure CSIC centers or standalone university departments. The comprehensive identifier ecosystem ensures the institute is correctly categorized across Schema.org's ResearchOrganization type, Wikipedia's 41 language editions covering research institutes, and geographic databases using the S.ITTR feature code.

## References

1. GRID Release 2017-05-22
2. Virtual International Authority File
3. [Source](https://administracionelectronica.gob.es/ctt/resources/Soluciones/238/Descargas/Listado%20Unidades%20AGE.xlsx?idIniciativa=238&idElemento=2741)