NNCI: North Carolina Research Triangle Nanotechnology Network (RTNN)

研究三角纳米技术网络(RTNN)通过提供技术领先和开放获取全面而独特的纳米技术实验室、设备和研究专业知识，促进了新的有前途的纳米技术的创新和商业化，并使美国的公共教育得以实现。RTNN由三所主要的研究型大学(北卡罗来纳州立大学、杜克大学和北卡罗来纳大学教堂山分校)组成，它们聚集在美国主要的纳米科学和纳米生物技术区域经济体之一附近。RTNN专注于开拓、研究和提炼创新方法，以催化传统和新兴的纳米技术研究领域，包括生物学、生物医学工程、纺织工程、环境工程、农业、土壤科学、森林生物材料和植物与微生物生物学。由于距离、成本和意识的障碍往往会阻止传统和非传统用户使用设施，RTNN将使用各种创新计划来克服这些障碍。RTNN通过纳米技术的社会和伦理影响(SEIN)部分，进一步领导对纳米技术的社会和伦理影响的研究，包括环境健康、安全、伦理和公平问题，该部分还评估创新项目的成功。RTNN将创建一个跨越7-12年级、社区学院、大学和行业的纳米技术创新生态系统。通过将项目成功转化为全国各地的项目，RTNN将成为全国创新的焦点，并将成为全国纳米技术创新生态系统的指南。RTNN将三所主要研究型大学的全面共享用户设施和互补的教师研究项目汇集在一起。这些资源将用于极大地提高最先进的制造和表征设施以及纳米科学和纳米技术方面的研究专门知识在全国的影响。RTNN的技术能力涵盖传统硬、干材料(即2D和3D纳米材料、超材料、光子学和异质集成)和新兴软、湿材料(即组织、纺织、植物和动物纳米材料)的纳米制造和纳米表征。具体的能力领域包括纳米技术的环境评估、原子层沉积、灵活的集成系统和流体系统。RTNN将通过在整个项目中增加额外的工艺流程和工具，实现纳米尺度与人类尺度的整合和接口的新方法，从而支持新兴的研究领域。RTNN将通过创建和评估创新项目并在全国范围内传播这些项目来扩大共享设施的使用。这些计划包括研究生点对点远距离使用互联网网络，暑期本科生研究实习并后续扩展到学生的原籍学校，利用大规模互联网课程的公众参与，以及扩展到K-12年级。一个特别的重点是吸引来自服务不足的用户群体的用户，包括妇女、少数族裔和通常不使用共享大学设施的人。RTNN的目标是创建一个全面、集成的纳米技术生态系统，为STEM学生提供一条管道，培养强大、充满活力和创业精神的下一代劳动力。

The Research Triangle Nanotechnology Network (RTNN) enables innovation and commercialization of new promising nanotechnologies and enables public education for the U.S. by providing technical leadership and open access to comprehensive and unique nanotechnology laboratories, equipment, and research expertise. The RTNN is anchored by three major research universities (North Carolina State University, Duke University, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) that are clustered near one of the nation's major nanoscience and nano-biotechnology regional economies. The RTNN focuses on pioneering, studying, and refining innovative methods to catalyze both traditional and emerging nanotechnology research areas, including those from Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Textile Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Agriculture, Soil Science, Forest Biomaterials, and Plant & Microbial Biology. Since the barriers of distance, cost, and awareness often prevent facility usage by both traditional and non-traditional users, the RTNN will surmount these barriers using a variety of innovative programs. The RTNN further leads research on the societal and ethical implications of nanotechnology, including issues of environmental health, safety, ethics, and equity, through a Social and Ethical Implications of Nanotechnology (SEIN) component that also assesses innovative program success. The RTNN will create a nanotechnology innovation ecosystem that spans grades 7-12, community colleges, universities, and industry. By translating program successes across the nation, the RTNN will become a national focal point for innovation and will serve as a guide for nanotechnology innovation ecosystems across the nation.The RTNN brings together comprehensive shared user facilities and complementary faculty research programs at three major research universities. These resources will be used to dramatically increase the national impact of state-of-the-art fabrication and characterization facilities and research expertise in nanoscience and nanotechnology. RTNN technical capabilities span nanofabrication and nano-characterization of traditional hard, dry materials (i.e., 2D and 3D nanomaterials, metamaterials, photonics, and heterogeneous integration) and emerging soft, wet materials (i.e., tissue, textile, plant, and animal nanomaterials). Specific areas of capability include the environmental assessment of nanotechnology, atomic layer deposition, flexible integrated systems, and fluidic systems. The RTNN will enable emerging research areas by adding additional process flows and tools throughout the project that enable new ways of integrating and interfacing the nano-scale with the human-scale. The RTNN will expand shared facilities usage by creating and assessing innovative programs and disseminating these programs across the nation. These programs include graduate student peer-to-peer distance use internet networking, summer undergraduate research internships with follow-on outreach to the student's school of origin, public engagement leveraging large scale internet courses, and outreach to grades K-12. A specific emphasis is on engaging users from underserved user groups, including women, minorities, and people who do not typically access shared university facilities. The aim of the RTNN is to create a comprehensive, integrated nanotechnology ecosystem that will provide a pipeline of STEM students for a strong, vibrant, and entrepreneurial next generation workforce.