The Mineral Physics Institute has been a very active and successful arm of the University’s research thrust.  We have achieved international leadership in this field, we have an active graduate student program, we operate a world-class synchrotron beamline that attracts scientists from around the world, and we have a dedicated faculty and staff that are intent on promoting the field and the University. 

Founded in 1989 the Mineral Physics Institute served as the launching pad for CHiPR, the Center for High Pressure Research, a National Science Foundation - Science and Technology Center (1990 – 2002).  During this time, we became heavily involved in high pressure synchrotron research at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) of the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) and the MPI became the support backbone to maintain this effort.  Support for the MPI has continued beyond the CHiPR era as an active research, education, and outreach program.  COMPRES, the Consortium for Materials Properties Research in the Earth Sciences, a community-based advocate and supporter of the high-pressure research programs at national laboratories, was founded in 2002 in the MPI cradle under the leadership of Donald Weidner. From 2002 to 2010, the MPI served as headquarters of COMPRES; in the first year, Jay Bass (UIUC) was the President and Donald Weidner was the Principal Investigator of the NSF Cooperative Agreement; in the following seven years, Bob Liebermann as President and PI.  COMPRES currently has 67 US members (Universities and academic organizations) and 51 international members.

Over three decades ago, we discovered the power of the national facilities for X-rays and neutrons in allowing us to probe the properties of Earth materials at extremes of pressure and temperature (such as occurs in the deep Earth).  This has led to our conceiving, building, operating, and continually renewing a high-pressure beamline at the National Synchrotron Light Source, the first large-volume high pressure beamline at a synchrotron in North America.   This beamline was open to outside scientists through a proposal system.  When NSLS closed in 2014, we split the high-pressure facility in two, moving half to the Advanced Photon Source in Argonne Labs (where it is in operation ½ of the time) and the other half to a new damping wiggler port at the NSLS II (operating about ¼ time).  Looking forward, these beamlines will expand the scientific base to include the subsurface region of the Earth.  The MPI has also provided a support structure for Professor Parise as he led the development of a high-pressure beamline at the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge.