The Sômiya Award is presented biennially by the International Union of Materials Research Societies (IUMRS) for the most significant research (on real materials) conducted by an interactive group or team whose members are drawn from at least two continents.

The award is named to honor Prof. Shigeyuki Sômiya, Emeritus Professor of Tokyo Institute of Technology and later, Dean at Teikyo University of Science and Engineering, winner of the MRS Medal, and the Japanese Scientific Academic Award.

The Sômiya award recipient is selected by the IUMRS Commission on Awards from nominations received. The winner(s) make a presentation at the annual IUMRS conference, receive an award commemorating the occasion, and free registration to the IUMRS International Conference on Advanced Materials (ICAM).

There were many outstanding applicants this year and the Commission on Awards had a challenge in selecting a winner. However, the 2007 Sômiya Award for International Collaboration in Materials Research is awarded to a U.S./Belgium research team led by Professor Ivan K. Schuller of the University of California, San Diego and Professor Yvan Bruynseraede of the Catholic University of Leuven for their investigation of "Structure and Physical Properties of Superconducting and Magnetic Nanostructures".