Delegation from Vietnam’s National Council for Science and Technology Policy (NCSTP) visits INOMAR

A delegation of from Vietnam’s National Council for Science and Technology Policy (NCSTP), including Prof. Hoang Van Phong, President of NCSTP, and Prof. Phan Thanh Binh, President of VNU-HCM, visited MANAR on Thursday, August 20, 2015. Our Co-Executive Director, Dzung Hoang, presented the guests information about MANAR’s research and the global mentoring model. The delegation said they were impressed with the work being accomplished at MANAR, and excited to see more progress in the future. We thank the delegation for taking time to learn more about the important work being done here. For more images from the meeting, please see our Group Pictures Page.

Applications Are Now Being Accepted For the Ph.D. Program

Applications are now being accpeted for the MANAR Graduate Program for Fall 2015!

Information about the MANAR Ph.D. program can be found in our Graduate Program Brochure.

Information about admission requirements, application procedures, and deadlines can be found in our Admission Notice.

Students wishing to apply are encouraged to email Kyle Cordova, the Global Science Coordinator, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  for more information.

The MANAR Ph.D. program trains young scientists to develop creative, high impact, and world-class research projects. Truly, Ph.D. students at MANAR have the opportunity to conduct research that is considered to be on the cutting-edge of science.

Undergraduate students who have completed a basic science degree are eligible to enroll in a MANAR Ph.D. program, which requires coursework and research in materials science and nanotechnology during the first two years of study. All coursework and research conducted by each Ph.D. student is taught and mentored by Vietnamese scientists as well as scientific advisors from the University of California, Berkeley. After this initial period, students will spend the rest of their Ph.D. study conducting independent research.

There are several key advantages for MANAR Ph.D. students:

1. Every student has the opportunity to collaborate with research scientists from the U.S. (UC Berkeley), Korea (KAIST), and Japan (NIMS) on research projects they carry out in Vietnam.
2. Students have the opportunity to spend time abroad as visiting scholars to conduct research at any of the labs listed in (1). This opportunity can last several months to even years.
3. Those students deemed exceptional after their first two years of study will be advised to submit an application to a U.S. institution to carry out their Ph.D. work. Students that choose to stay in VN for their Ph.D. work at MANAR will have the opportunity to be recommended for post-doctoral research positions abroad and will receive letters of recommendation from the UC Berkeley scientific advisors and/or professors.
4. All projects being carried out at MANAR are based on cutting-edge science and have the potential to be of high impact to the worldwide scientific community. This means that all publications from MANAR are in well-respected, high impact, and international journals.

All MANAR Ph.D. students receive a grant (stipend) that covers tuition fees and personal financial support during their tenure at MANAR. Ph.D. students who have the opportunity to be visiting scholars abroad will also receive additional financial support for living expenses throughout the duration of their stay in the U.S., Korea, or Japan. Scientific support to MANAR Ph.D. students is truly world class:

• Ph.D. students participate in a weekly "global meeting" via video conference to discuss the current status of their research projects and learn more about our international collaborators research (Prof. Omar Yaghi's groups at UC Berkeley, KAIST, and NIMS). This is an opportunity to grow as a scientist and openly collaborate with some of the best researchers in the world.

• All students have access to scientific journals and other scientific databases.

• Students are encouraged to present their work at international scientific meetings and are financially supported for when they present.

• MANAR personnel have easy access to chemical and equipment ordering and receiving as needed. 

• Research laboratories are operated under international standards and are equipped with state-of-the-art equipment.

• Safety is a top priority at MANAR and all students receive regular training through weekly workshops.

Tan Publishes in Chemistry-An Asian Journal

Tan Doan, Ph.D. student, is first author on a recently accepted research paper in Chemistry - An Asian Journal (Impact Factor 4.6) entitled "Tailoring the optical absorption of water stable Zr(IV)- and Hf(IV)-based metal-organic framework photocatalysts". Also on the paper is Ha Nguyen (Ph.D. student) and Hung Q. Pham (research assistant). Congratulations! 

Publication Details: 

Tailoring the Optical Absorption of Water Stable Zr(IV)- and Hf(IV)-Based Metal Organic Framework Photocatalysts
T. L. H. Doan, H. L. Nguyen, H. Q. Pham, N.-N. Pham-Tran, T. N. Le, K. E. Cordova, Chem. Asian J. 2015, accepted.                                           

MANAR Researcher Spotlight August 2015: Hung Q. Pham

August’s Researcher Spotlight focuses on Hung Q. Pham. Hung has been a research assistant since the beginning of MANAR. This upcoming fall semester he will enter the Chemistry Ph.D. program at University of Minnesota in the US. Hung has played an integral role on two of MANAR’s publications. 

Name:                                 

Hung Q. Pham

Hometown:

Bien Hoa, Dong Nai

Research Focus:

I am interested in the electronic and adsorptive properties of crystalline framework materials. Basically, in my research, I employ first principle calculation and Monte Carlo simulation to predict and interpret experimental observations on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) or covalent-organic frameworks (COFs). The long-term target is to design new compounds with exceptional properties, and of course, be possibly realized by experimental chemists.

Tell us something about your current research: 

Recently, I have been motivated by the idea that in COF chemistry one can possibly combine porosity and semiconductor behavior into one unique structure. The diversity of organic building units might generate unlimited number of COF structures, and more importantly, this can be done in a predetermined manner. In our study, we seek to understand the mechanism of charge transfer processes in COF environments and to interpret chemical factors that influence COFs’ performances. So far we are concentrating on COFs with single-layered structure with the goal of replacing other common 2D materials, such as graphene, molybdenum disulfide, or phosphorene. In terms of long-term targets, we seek to design 3D structures with high porosity and charge mobility. This is really an interesting topic to work on.

What got you interested in chemistry? How does chemistry inspire you?

With chemistry we can create things, yes, almost everything. It is amazing that one can create from molecules with the size of several angstroms to macromolecules with the size of thousands of angstrom and from building blocks of non-living things to those of living things. It is not an exaggeration to say that humans cannot live without chemistry and that is why chemistry inspires me to become a chemist.

What you like best about working at MANAR? What has been your proudest moment at MANAR? 

Working at MANAR is an unforgettable experience for me. At MANAR, we not only collaborate and learn from leading scientists in the field but also from our peers. Indeed, we collaborate with others to carry out meaningful projects where many techniques and skills are required. No matter who you are, your opinion will always be appreciated and considered. This manner is not a popular style in our home country and this is what I like best about working at MANAR.

My proudest moment at MANAR must be the ‘150 Years of Beautiful Structures and Defects’ conference where many great scientists came to Vietnam to give their talks. This was an invaluable experience not only for MANAR people but for many Vietnamese scholars and students. I am really proud of myself for being a part of the organizing committee of such an important event. 

What are your future goals (scientific/career/short-term/long-term)? 

My short-term goal must be finishing my Ph.D. in the next five years. Also, during this demanding but rewarding experience, I hope I can find out my own chemistry since it is really wonderful when you are the first person to know something. For my long-term, I seek to find a job in academia, a research professor, for instance, which will allow me to do my own science.

Favorite quote:

‘The ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.” – by Steve Jobs.

Three words to describe yourself:

Persistent, Perseverant, Passionate