The Institute of Mineral Research (IMR) was founded in 1955 to assist the mining industries in the State of Michigan, as a state-funded, dedicated research institute with a non-academic staff of research scientists and engineers. IMR was the initial occupant of Benedict Labs, adjacent to the Minerals and Materials Building. In 1988, the Institute changed to the Institute of Materials Processing (IMP), to expand into other materials industries, notably minerals beneficiation, steel making, ceramic and composite processing, and near net-shape manufacturing. In 2010, IMP merged with the Institute of Engineered Materials (IEM), further broadening its scope to include processing of the emerging and expanded area of engineered functional materials.
