Aug. 3, 2005 — The Oregon State House passed a bill on Monday that provides $7 million to the Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute. The vote follows the unanimous approval of the bill by the state senate in late June. The measure will be sent to the governor’s office, where it is expected to be signed.

It establishes councils designed to encourage innovation and coordinate state economic efforts. It also calls for the establishment of “a signature research center to maximize collaborative ventures among research institutions, the federal government and private industry that will capitalize on opportunities to obtain private and federal funding for the research and development of nanoscience and microscience products, technology and multiscale materials.”