Network for Computational Nanotechnology

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AbstractThe Network for Computational Nanotechnology (NCN) was established in 2002 and has grown to be a national resource serving the research community in the emerging field of nanoscience and nanotechnology. The NCN is producing new knowledge, simulation approaches, numerical algorithms, and open-source software to help realize the promise of nanoscience. NCN researchers are carrying out simulation and modeling research in three key fundamental research themes: nanoelectronics, nanoelectromechanical systems/nanofluidics, and nanobiology and medicine. The modeling and simulation tools are available to a broader research community through a web-based cyberinfrastructure, the nanoHUB, located at www.nanoHUB.org. The capabilities of the nanoHUB have been enhanced by the NSF National Middleware Initiative (NMI). The total number of annual users of the educational and resources services on the nanoHUB have grown from under 2000 in 2002 to more than 15,000 in 2006. NanoHUB also offers courses, seminars and tutorials that are being used as educational tools in support of nanoscience and engineering curricula by 692 U.S. colleges and universities. Over the next five years, NCN plans to continue to introduce new formats for instructional delivery, which will allow access to nanoHUB services anytime, anywhere. In addition, it is expected that there will be a strong demand in industry and academe for students well versed in the simulations offered through the NCN research platforms, as well as computer science and engineering students who are engaged in the development and deployment of nanoHUB. The Network for Computational Nanotechnology is a partnership between Purdue University, Norfolk State University (NSU), Northwestern University (NWU), Stanford University (SU), the University of Florida (UF) at Gainesville, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), and the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Through NSF support NCN brings together a community of theorists, computational scientists, and device engineers in nanoscale science and engineering research to address the modeling and simulation challenges in understanding nanoscale phenomena and realizing integrated nanosystems. In addition, NCN has formed strategic partnerships with two Nanoscale Science and Engineering Centers (NSEC) at the University of California Berkeley (UCB) and Columbia University, the on-line MultimediaEducational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching (MERLOT), and the Northwestern University National Center for Learning and Teaching in Nanoscale Science and Engineering. With the approval of the renewal request, faculty from the UC, Berkeley NSEC will join the core NCN team.The vision of NCN is to provide a future in which a diverse community, united by a common culture and enabled by a shared cyberinfrastructure, uses theory, modeling, and simulation to accelerate the transformation of nanoscience to nanotechnology. The NCN team engages in research to explore nanoscale phenomena and devices through the integration of computational research, simulation, and experimentation. Based on this work, the NCN develops, modifies, and installs software tools ? tools to perform simulations on nanoscale systems -- and makes these tools available to a user community through the nanoHUB website, which is enabled by Purdue?s computing infrastructure. The mission of the NCN is to create, deploy and operate a national resource for theory, modeling, and simulation in nanotechnology using the cyberinfrastructure to build and serve diverse communities spanning research, design, manufacturing, education and outreach. This mission is embodied in the nanoHUB and supported by research, education and outreach. The NCN?s goals and objectives are to: (a) carry out research that addresses key challenges through theory, modeling, and simulation; (b) provide professional leadership that brings communities together to identify challenges and move the field ahead; (c) develop new software tools needed for this new field; (d) lower barriers that limit the use of simulation by experimentalists and educators and equip them to be critical, effective users; (e) develop and deploy cyberinfrastructure that efficiently and robustly delivers services for simulation, education, and collaboration; (f) educate and develop a workforce to increase the number and diversity of students and faculty engaged in nanotechnology; (g) disseminate the results of its work and (h) engage the broader community through universally available web technology. NCN is making an important impact on the integration of theoretical and experimental nanoscale research through the delivery of computationally intensive modeling and simulation tools that are being used by almost 3500 simulation users as of February 2006. In addition, NCN is producing educational materials that impact a broad range of users both in research and education. In addition to simulation tools for research and education, nanoHub offers a number of courses, seminars and tutorials that are being used as educational tools in support of nanoscale science and technology curricula on at least 692 U.S. institutions of higher education.