NNCI: San Diego Nanotechnology Infrastructure (SDNI)

加州大学圣地亚哥分校NNCI的圣地亚哥纳米技术基础设施(SDNI)网站提供了广泛的纳米制造和表征仪器以及专业知识，能够支持和加快尖端科学研究、概念验证演示、设备和系统原型制作、产品开发和技术转换。纳米技术是许多工业部门的基石，是科学发现和创新的丰富来源。利用纳米技术，科学家很可能找到解决健康、通信、能源和环境中最重要挑战的方案。纳米技术本质上是多学科的，需要高度复杂的工具和深厚的专业知识，这些往往是个别研究实验室和企业无法获得或负担不起的。SDNI网站将以用户友好、及时和经济高效的方式向全国所有感兴趣的用户提供最先进的纳米技术诀窍、工具和服务。该网站还将成为纳米技术提供商，创造和开发新的纳米技术，并将其带给用户。该网站的目标是服务于大量的学术、工业和政府用户，将使能纳米技术从研究实验室转移到普通用户社区，教育和培训未来一代纳米技术科学家和工程师，并为大学生和K-12学生，特别是未被充分代表的少数族裔学生带来纳米级的研究经验，为他们从事STEM职业生涯做好准备。SDNI网站将建立在现有的Nano3用户设施的基础上，并利用加州大学圣地亚哥分校的额外专业资源和专业知识。SDNI网站致力于扩大和进一步多样化其已经相当庞大的用户基础。拟议的战略目标包括：(I)提供基础设施，通过开放、负担得起的方式获得纳米制造和纳米表征工具，以及能够与用户合作调整和开发新能力的专家团队，重点是纳米生物医学、纳米光子学和纳米磁学；(Ii)加快将发现和新纳米技术推向市场；以及(Iii)与NNCI的其他网站协调，提供不间断的服务和创造性的解决方案，以满足不断变化的用户需求。预计学术、政府和工业部门的本地和区域用户的数量和种类将显著增长。SDNI网站用户的发现有可能在医疗、信息技术、交通、国土安全和环境科学等多个领域产生革命性变化，从而改善医疗保健、更快的通信、更安全的交通以及更清洁的水和空气。为了培养一支更多样化和更有生产力的科学队伍，SDNI网站将扩大本科生和研究生培训计划，包括REU机会，在五年内培训900名学生。通过RET计划和其他活动，该网站将致力于增加来自代表性不足的少数群体的学生数量，他们学习并最终在STEM学科中就业。

The San Diego Nanotechnology Infrastructure (SDNI) site of the NNCI at the University of California at San Diego offers access to a broad spectrum of nanofabrication and characterization instrumentation and expertise that enable and accelerate cutting edge scientific research, proof-of-concept demonstration, device and system prototyping, product development, and technology translation. Nanotechnology is the cornerstone of many industry sectors and a rich source for scientific discoveries and innovations. Using nanotechnologies, scientists are likely to find solutions for the most important challenges in health, communications, energy, and environment. Nanotechnology is multidisciplinary by nature and requires highly sophisticated tools and deep expertise, often unavailable or unaffordable by individual research labs and businesses. The SDNI site will offer state-of-the-art knowhow, tools, and services of nanotechnologies to all interested users across the nation in a user friendly, timely, and cost effective manner. The site will also become a nanotechnology provider to create and develop new nanotechnologies and bring them to its users. The goals of the site are to serve a large number of academic, industrial, and government users, to transfer enabling nanotechnologies from research laboratories to the general user community, to educate and train future generations of scientists and engineers in nanotechnology, and to bring nanoscaled research experience to college students and K-12 students, especially underrepresented minority students, to prepare them for STEM careers. The SDNI site will build upon the existing Nano3 user facility and leverage additional specialized resources and expertise at the University of California at San Diego. The SDNI site is committed to broadening and further diversifying its already substantial user base. The proposed strategic goals include: (i) providing infrastructure that enables transformative research and education through open, affordable access to the nanofabrication and nanocharacterization tools and an expert staff capable of working with users to adapt and develop new capabilities, with emphasis in the areas of NanoBioMedicine, NanoPhotonics, and NanoMagnetism; (ii) accelerating the translation of discoveries and new nanotechnologies to the marketplace; and (iii) coordinating with other NNCI sites to provide uninterrupted service and creative solutions to meet evolving user needs. Significant growth is anticipated in the number and variety of local and regional users in the academic, government, and industrial sectors. Discoveries made by users of the SDNI site have the potential to create transformative change in fields as diverse as medicine, information technology, transportation, homeland security, and environmental science, leading to improved healthcare, faster communications, safer transit, and cleaner water and air. To develop a more diverse and productive scientific workforce, the SDNI site will expand undergraduate and graduate training programs including REU opportunities to train 900 students over five years. Through an RET program and other activities, the site will work to increase the number of students from underrepresented minority groups who pursue studies and, ultimately, careers in STEM disciplines.