Irvine Materials Research Institute (IMRI) is an interdisciplinary special research program established under the Office of Research at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). It serves as the cross-campus nexus for materials research at UCI. IMRI manages the newly established Center for Complex and Active Materials (CCAM), which is funded through the National Science Foundation’s Materials Research Science and Engineering (MRSEC) program. It operates a wide range of state-of-the-art shared facilities open to users from all university, industry, and non-profit organizations for the analysis and characterization of inorganic, organic, and biological materials and devices ranging from sub-Å to macroscopic length scales. IMRI provides advanced techniques and services including structural and chemical characterization, advanced imaging and spectroscopy, surface analysis, physical property measurements, and fabrication of materials and devices by a variety of techniques. The facilities, operating in a 24/7 “open access” mode, are professionally staffed, convenient, and affordable, with user-friendly services. In addition, IMRI also has expert scientific staff who are supported through University funds and are responsible for user training, facilities operation and maintenance, and technical and scientific assistance.