The Boise State Center for Materials Characterization was established by the Idaho State Board of Education in August 2006 to provide a state-of-the-art characterization facility in order to attract more students into science and engineering careers, to improve science and engineering education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and to foster leading research and interaction with local industry. As such, it provides the organization and infrastructure to make various materials characterization tools available for academia and regional companies.

The BSCMC is complimentary to the Microscopy and Characterization Suite (MaCS) at the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES). The MaCS is a state-of-the-art microscopy laboratory and regional resource for materials imaging in support of the CAES mission.