The Institute of Electrophysics of the Ural Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEP UD RAS) was founded in November 1986 by academician G. A. Mesyats. Currently, the staff of the Institute consists of more than 200 employees, including about 80 researchers. The Institute has 3 full members of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 6 corresponding members of RAS, 14 doctors of Sciences, more than 50 candidates of Sciences.

  Institute of Electrophysics is a polythematic scientific organization working at the intersection of reference groups "General physics" and "Energy engineering". The purpose and subject of the Institute are fundamental and applied research in the field of electrophysics, high-power pulse energy, theoretical and experimental physics, as well as the creation of new technologies, devices and machines. Researches are being carried out in the following areas: methods of generation of powerful beams of corpuscular and electromagnetic radiation; physics of high energy densities; problems of pulsed energy; laser physics; nonlinear optics; phase transitions and electrodynamics processes in condensed matter.

  A key feature of IEP is that unique electrophysical installations are being created at the Institute on the basis of the phenomena and effects studied and discovered right here. So, for example, in 1992, at the IEP Ural Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the effect of ultrafast current interruption (later called the SOS effect) in semiconductors was discovered. Based on this effect, at the Institute unique high-voltage frequency-range generators were created, the development of which was awarded by the State Prize of the Russian Federation in 2002. In particular, the S–500 installation is the most powerful solid-state generator to date, which, when compressing the pulse energy, implements a record value of peak power (25 GW) in the subnanosecond range (0.65 ns). With the help of this technology, compact medical x-ray devices with reduced the patient's radiation dose by more than 20 times, portable x-ray flaw detectors for weakly absorbing plastic products, generators of the URT series for radiation technologies in medicine and agriculture have been created and brought to the commercial level together with partners. Great recognition and global leadership of IEP UD RAS in the field of semiconductor current switches was confirmed by the awarding of the international prize of the Erwin Marx (2017) to employee of the Institute Rukin S. N.

  Unique compact pulsed installations RADAN, cathode-luminescence analyzers created in IEP are the world famous brand. For outstanding results on laboratory reproduction of the effect similar to the breakdown on runaway electrons of atmospheric air in a thunderstorm an employee of the IEP M. I. Yalandin was awarded the Russian Government Prize in science and technology (2016). The Institute conducts world-class theoretical and experimental research on the physics of pulsed vacuum and gas discharge, hydrodynamic flows and fluid instability in electric and magnetic fields, the properties of nanoscale systems and compaction of materials based on them. The Institute has developed a full cycle of production of high-transparent laser ceramics – from the production of nanopowders to samples that are not inferior to world analogues transparency and other characteristics. The Institute has achieved significant success in the field of plasma coating technologies. Technologies are demanded by the organizations of an industrial profile. The dynamic welding of high-strength metallic materials technology is developed using specific electromagnetic inductor. This technology is promising for connecting ferritic-martensitic and disperse-hardened with yttrium oxide steel, not welded liquid-phase methods without additional heat treatment.

  The Institute is fully provided with work areas, specially designed, built and equipped for the most complex experimental work. The institute has an equipment sharing center which possesses the analytical instruments and installations of more than 40 items, including those created at the institute.

  Recognition of scientific achievements of leading scientists of IEP UD RAS from the first years after the Foundation of the Institute (1986) is certified by prestigious national and international awards. Among them: - the Lenin Komsomol Prize (1987), International award W. Dyke (1990), the International Erwin Marx award (1991; 2017), the International Galileo Galilei prize (1997), State prize of Russia (1998; 2002; 2003), the Russian Federation Government Prize in science and technology (2002; 2016), State prize of Russian Federation for young scientists (2003), title "Honored scientist of the Russian Federation" (2010; 2011), the A. G. Stoletov Award (1996; 2002), the P. N. Yablochkov Award (2012), N. N. Moiseev gold medal (2002), S. V. Vonsovsky gold medal (2004), M. A. Lavrentyev gold medal (2005), V. L. Ginzburg gold medal (2016). In the last few years, the results of the Institute are included annually in the report of the Academy of Sciences to the country's leadership on the state of fundamental research and the most important scientific achievements of Russian scientists.