Nano-Link Regional Center for Nanotechnology Education

纳米技术涵盖了从物理和化学到新兴技术（如光子学和生物技术）的学科；其市场领域超越了传统的电子和材料行业，涵盖了润滑油、造纸、纤维素、能源、消费品和食品行业等多元化领域。对纳米技术劳动力需求的预测表明，到2020年需要50万名纳米技术技术人员。ATE区域中心Nano-Link将发展工业和教育网络，以帮助满足这些劳动力需求。Nano-Link将继续并扩大过去六年的成功：为越来越多的大学提供纳米科学课程内容，支持将纳米技术技术人员引入工业岗位；增加多学科教育模块的数量，以满足不断增长的细分市场；通过创造与文化相关的教育内容，扩大与代表性不足的少数民族的联系；随着纳米技术教育项目的更新和发展，为大学教师提供与工业互动的最佳实践。对项目目标进展的持续评估将有助于为整个项目评估提供信息，这反过来将有助于建立关于项目伙伴网络在改进纳米技术教育和满足区域劳动力需求方面的有效性的知识库。

Nanotechnology encompasses subjects from physics and chemistry to emerging technologies such as photonics and biotechnology; and its market segments go beyond the traditional electronics and materials industries, to encompass segments as diversified as lubricants, paper manufacturing, cellulose, energy, consumer products and the food industry. Forecasts of nanotechnology workforce needs cite 500,000 nanotechnology technicians needed by 2020. The ATE Regional Center, Nano-Link, will grow both an industry and education network to help meet these workforce needs.Nano-Link will continue and expand on the successes of the last six years by: providing nanoscience course content to an expanding set of colleges supporting the introduction of nanotechnology aware technicians into industry positions; increasing the number of multi-disciplinary educational modules to address the growing market segments; expanding outreach to underrepresented minorities by creating culturally relevant educational content; and providing college faculty best practices on interacting with industry as nanotechnology educational programs are updated and developed. Ongoing assessment of progress towards the project's goals will help inform the overall project evaluation, which in turn will contribute to building the knowledge base regarding the effectiveness of the network of project partners in achieving improvements in nanotechnology education and meeting regional workforce needs.