GAITHERSBURG,
Md.—The
Commerce Department’s National
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University
of Maryland have joined in a $1.5 million cooperative program
that will further NIST’s efforts to develop measurement
technology and other new tools designed to support all
phases of nanotechnology development, from discovery to
manufacture.
The
competitively awarded grant, renewable for up to five years,
also will accelerate the scale-up of NIST’s new Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology
(CNST), launched in March 2006. The bulk of the funding will support the
work of 13 research scientists and engineers. They will work with researchers
in the CNST, which is housed in NIST’s state-of-the-art
Advanced Measurement Laboratory.
The
University of Maryland research associates will work on
jointly defined projects aligned with the center’s mission to develop the knowledge and technical
infrastructure that underpins nanotechnology development. They also will collaborate
with visiting researchers who come to the CNST to use measurement instruments
and other advanced equipment in its Nanofabrication Facility, a national resource
available to collaborators and outside users.
“NIST's unique niche is to develop the measurement
tools and the standards necessary to turn the incredible
promise of nanotechnology into practical products,” says
NIST Director William Jeffrey. “Through this
partnership, we can step up our efforts to meet this important
need.”
A portion of the grant will be used for national outreach
and education efforts directed towards young faculty members
and post-doctoral researchers.
"I'm so proud of NIST in Maryland," said Maryland
Senator Barbara A. Mikulski. "This new partnership
between NIST and the University of Maryland will lead to
innovative new technologies and new products that will create
new jobs and make Maryland, and America, more competitive
in the global economy."
The
university will participate in the cooperative program
through its Maryland Center for Integrated Nanoscience
and Engineering. Physics
Professor Ellen Williams, author of more than 150 scientific
papers and a member of the National Academy of Sciences,
will serve as principal investigator.
The program will get under way in September.
As a non-regulatory agency, NIST promotes U.S. innovation
and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science,
standards and technology in ways that enhance economic security
and improve our quality of life.
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