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NSF PR 01-69 - September 19, 2001
| Media contact: |
Amber Jones |
(703) 292-8070 |
aljones@nsf.gov |
| Program contact: |
Ulrich Strom |
(703) 292-4938 |
ustrom@nsf.gov |
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Big Plans on a Small Scale: NSF Funds Centers for
Nanoscale Research
Will advance information, medical, manufacturing and
environmental technologies
Research at the nanoscale is needed to advance the
development of the ultra-small technology that will
transform electronics, materials, medicine and many
other fields. The National Science Foundation (NSF)
today announced awards estimated to total $65 million
over five years to fund six major centers in nanoscale
science and engineering. The awards are part of a
series of NSF grants -- totaling $150 million in fiscal
year 2001 alone -- for research in multiple disciplines.
The six centers will be located at Columbia and Cornell
Universities and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
in New York, Harvard University in Massachusetts,
Northwestern University in Illinois, and Rice University
in Texas.
"With its nanoscale science and engineering initiative,
the National Science Foundation is enabling the coming
wave of research," said Mihail Roco, head of the NSF
initiative and chair of the National Science and Technology
Council's subcommittee on Nanoscale Science, Engineering
and Technology. "Each of the six centers has a bold
vision for research at the frontiers of science and
technology, and together they will provide coherence
and a longer term outlook to U.S. nanotechnology research
and education."
Nanoscale science, engineering and technology are focused
on a scale ranging from the size of individual atoms
to that of large molecules. The Nanoscale Science
and Engineering Centers will develop new areas of
research and help establish a nanotechnology workforce.
The centers are expected to significantly advance
the information, medical, manufacturing and environmental
technologies, while other NSF grants will fund small,
interdisciplinary research teams and individuals doing
exploratory research in a wide range of areas.
The centers will address challenges and opportunities
that are too complex and multi-faceted for individual
researchers or small teams to tackle in shorter periods
of time, Roco said. The centers involve key partnerships
with industry, national laboratories and other sectors.
They will support education programs from the graduate
to the pre-college level designed to develop a highly
skilled workforce, advance pre-college training, and
to advance the public understanding of science and
engineering.
Attachment: NSF Awards
for Nanoscale Science and Engineering Centers
Attachment
NSF Awards for Nanoscale Science and Engineering Centers
| Award |
Amount |
| 
|
| Center for
Electronic Transport in Molecular Nanostructures
Columbia University
Director: James Yardley
The center, in collaboration with industrial
partners and national laboratories, seeks
to develop the understanding of charge
transport in molecular structures with
potential applications in electronics,
photonics, biology, neuroscience and medicine.
The educational program engages high school
students in collaboration with the City
University of New York and mentors undergraduates
and graduates through specialized summer
and academic year programs. |
$10.8 mil/5
yrs |
|
|
| Center for
Nanoscale Systems in Information Technologies
Cornell University
Director: Robert Buhrman
The center features research to advance
the development of nanoscale electronics,
photonics and magnetics with potential
impact on high-performance electronics,
information storage, communications and
sensor technologies. The educational program
partners with industry to support a K-12
teachers institute and a nanotechnology
teaching laboratory. Graduate-level recruitment
and mentoring programs are aimed at members
of underrepresented groups. |
$11.6 mil/5
yrs |
|
|
| Center for
the Science of Nanoscale Systems and their
Device Applications
Harvard University
Director: Robert Westervelt
In collaboration with U.S. and foreign
academic partners, the center supports
an interdisciplinary program exploring
the properties of nanostructures for novel
electronic and magnetic devices, including
potential applications in quantum information
processing. Educational programs include
outreach to middle school students and
teachers and fostering public education
in partnership with the Boston Museum
of Science. |
$10.8 mil/5
yrs |
|
|
| Center for
Integrated Nanopatterning and Detection
Technologies
Northwestern University
Director: Chad Mirkin
The center will develop nanopatterning
capabilities in the 1- to 100-nanometer
scale for soft materials, with potential
applications in the design of chemical
and biological sensors. An engineering
component includes collaborations with
industrial partners. Educational activities
include outreach to high school science
teachers and the development of curriculum
material for middle and high schools.
The center is initiating a Small Business
Entrepreneurs Program. |
$11.1 mil/5
yrs |
|
|
| Center for
Directed Assembly of Nanostructures
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Director: Richard Siegel
The center is a partnership between Rensselaer,
the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
Los Alamos National Laboratory, with additional
support from New York State. Its focus
is the assembly of nanoscale building
blocks, consisting of soft and hard matter,
to design materials with important applications
as composites, in drug delivery and as
sensors. Educational activities feature
partnerships with industry and several
colleges (Morehouse, Mount Holyoke, Smith,
Spelman and Williams) to enhance research
opportunities for groups that are underrepresented
in science. |
$10.0 mil/5
yrs |
|
|
| Center for
Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology
Rice University
Director: Richard Smalley
The center's research and outreach program
focuses on applications of nanoscience
to bioengineering and environmental engineering,
with particular emphasis on the theme
of integrating biology with nanochemistry.
The educational program aims to help identify,
recruit, and train a nanoscience workforce,
particularly among groups currently underrepresented
in the science workforce. A partnership
with the Jones Graduate School of Management
supports an entrepreneurial education
program. |
$10.5 mil/5
yrs |
|
|
Note: The amounts shown are estimated totals over
five years.
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