U.S.
Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that
the Senate has approved the FY10 Commerce, Justice, Science, and
Related Agencies Appropriations Bill which includes $500,000 for the
University at Albany’s College of Nanoscience and Engineering. The
funding would be used to further the development and deployment of new
nanoscale fabrication and measurement strategies. Schumer and
Gillibrand requested that the funding be included as part of the
spending bill.
“It
is critical that we continue to support the groundbreaking research at
Albany NanoTech,” said Schumer. “This federal funding will ensure that
Albany will continue to be a global leader in nanotechnology. This
funding will help support Albany as a leader in global research,
attracting companies and creating jobs in the Capital Region.”
“This
is a great investment for the state of the art research at our world
class facility at University at Albany,” said Senator Gillibrand.
“Nanotechnology research and development is a critical part of the
Capital Region’s economic growth. I will continue to work with Senator
Schumer to ensure that New York receives its fair share of federal
dollars.”
The
College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) of the University
at Albany established the New York Center for National Competitiveness
in Nanoscale Characterization (NC)3 as a partnership with the National
Institute for Science and Technology (NIST) to assemble the synergistic
intellectual assets and cutting edge physical resources necessary to
complement, support, and promote U.S. innovation and industrial
competitiveness by advancing measurement science, sensitive
traceability, and accurate technological and industrial standards under
the American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI).
Funding for (NC)3 will
also support the concurrent research and development of new nanoscale
measurement strategies supporting the emerging “bottom-up approach” in
nanotechnology fabrication protocols based on controlled self-assembly
of atomic device building blocks to be used in a broad array of
applications including advanced nanoelectronic devices in addition to
clean energy, defense, biomedical, transportation and communications.
Collaborative interactions between NIST and CNSE focusing on the
“bottom-up approach” will focus more on nanoscale characterization of
energy related materials and devices including solar cells, solid state
lighting, optical sensors for harsh environments, fuel cells and energy
storage devices.
Now
that the bill has been approved by the Senate, it will be combined with
the House’s version and go to the President for signature.