April 24, 2008 — In the wake of securing nearly $900,000 for the Center for National Competitiveness in Nanoscale Characterization (NC3), which triggered an additional investment of almost $15 million, New York’s U.S. Senator Charles Schumer announced a landmark agreement between the Center and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The partnership aims to advance the established collaboration between NIST and University of Albany’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) by providing the framework for both organizations to share research, equipment, staff and other key resources.
The agreement marks the first formal partnership between the Albany Nano Campus and the Federal Government and is expected to help both organizations tackle critical challenges facing the nanotechnology industry, including obtaining precise measurements at the atomic and sub-atomic levels. As semiconductor chips become smaller and smaller, this challenge grows.
Schumer, along with Dr. James Turner, the head of NIST, Dr. Alain Kaloyeros, Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, and George Philip, Interim President of the University at Albany, announced the deal as the latest in efforts to ensure the Capital Region remains the driving force behind keeping the U.S. at the forefront of nanotechnology across the globe.
“This groundbreaking agreement will propel the Capital Region and our entire nation into the epicenter of an increasingly global nanotechnology sector,” said Schumer. “This is a win-win for Tech Valley. The research will help keep the United States competitive in the global technology marketplace and it will help deliver federal funding and more private investment to the Albany area. After securing the initial money, we saw the great ability of UAlbany’s Nano Center to grow as investments in their exciting research swelled to over $15 million. The partnership with NIST will allow UAlbany to combine the region’s dynamic workforce and already cutting-edge research with federal expertise and resources that will solidify its spot as one of the best nano campuses in the world.”
Dr. James M. Turner, the Deputy Director of NIST, said, “Our shared aim is to develop the measurement science infrastructure that is absolutely essential to U.S. innovation and economic competitiveness in nanotechnology. NIST is eager to forge a productive collaboration that leverages this impressive collection of intellectual and physical resources.”
Founded in 1901, NIST is a non-regulatory federal agency within the U.S Department of Commerce. NIST’s mission is to promote 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. Prior to the creation of NIST, lack of standardized measurements complicated commerce in this country. For example there were several definitions for a liquid gallon and in Brooklyn alone there were four separate measurements for a foot. Standardization of those measurements and thousands of others has simplified commerce, improved products and brought reliability and integrity to our economic system.
In much the same way as it did one hundred years ago with a gallon of milk, today NIST is addressing the issues of standardization and precision in groundbreaking nanotechnology.
Through NIST’s Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology and NC3, leading scientists will work collaboratively to formulate and deploy pioneering techniques for the measurement of materials at the nanoscale – a critical element in the development of smaller and faster computer chips that offer higher performance and reduced power consumption for use in a wide range of industries, from health care, energy and telecommunications to military, aerospace and transportation.
The UAlbany CNSE is the first college in the world dedicated to research, development, education, and deployment in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience, nanoengineering, nanobioscience, and nanoeconomics. In May 2007, it was ranked as the number one college for nanotechnology and microtechnology in the annual college ranking by Small Times magazine. CNSE’s Albany NanoTech complex is a $4.2 billion, 450,000-square-foot facility attracts corporate partners from around the world.