The newly established Materials Science and Nanotechnology Institute (UNAM) is the first national research institute of Turkey in the area of atomic scale materials and nanotechnology. UNAM is growing as a major research facility equipped with all necessary research infrastructure and advanced research tools to carry out forefront R&D activities. This advanced research facility is available to the researchers of all other institutions. As a centre of excellence, UNAM is expected to provide scientific advising for the state of the art research problems in nanotechnology. Through this project, the Institute can rapidly reach its full potential for research and technological innovation and emerge as an internationally competitive center, integrated firmly into the European Research Area. UNAM is recently established; despite wide recognition within Turkey, so far our exposure to the European scientific community has been limited. We strongly desire to improve this and develop connections to and collaborations with European laboratories, university groups and research institutes through mechanisms to be established in this project. However, UNAM currently suffers from a bottleneck in funding of travel, conference organization. In addition, UNAM needs to increase its PhD staff through postdoctoral and research scientist positions, since full faculty positions through the university are very limited. There is need for a number of trained personnel in high-technology equipment relevant to nanotech in Turkey, such TEM, FIB, lithography equipment. The proposed project will allow UNAM administration to offer internationally competitive salaries for young Turkish scientists receiving doctorates every year in the USA, reversing the brain drain, as well as young European scientists with technical expertise. The proposed project will be critical in overcoming all of these difficulties.