May 3, 2007 — The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, Maryland says its newly established Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) is accepting proposals for nanotechnology related research projects.

The center is a resource for university, industry, government and other researchers who need access to state-of-the-art facilities to study a wide range of nanotechnology topics.

The CNST consists of both an active interdisciplinary research program and a national user facility: a 16,000 square foot nanofabrication facility, about half of which is devoted to class 100 cleanroom space. The nanofabrication facility includes more than 30 state-of-the-art tools such as photolithography, ion beam, and etching equipment capable of creating, measuring, and inspecting nanoscale devices with dimensions as small as 10 nanometers.

Researchers interested in working at the facility can submit proposals for review in any nanotechnology research area. The center will accept both proprietary and non-proprietary research proposals. Non-proprietary research may qualify for a partial waiver of use fees if the project falls within CNST’s mission, and such proposals are expected to lead to publication of research results in the open scientific literature.