The Institute for Chemical Research was established in 1926 in order to investigate the fundamental principles of chemistry and develop their applications. It was Kyoto University's first research institute, and has maintained its original spirit of "freedom of research" since its launch. The institute currently consists of five research divisions and three centers, comprising thirty-one laboratories in total. Each laboratory also functions as a cooperative lab with one of the following seven graduate schools: science (12 labs), engineering (10), pharmaceutical science (3), agriculture (2), medicine (1), informatics (1) and human and environmental studies (1). The institute pursues extensive domestic and overseas collaborations (56 international cooperation agreements are currently tied). As of 2010 the institute functions as a ministry of education designated Joint Usage/Research Center, serving the global community as a center for research in chemistry-oriented fields.
