NNCI: Southeastern Nanotechnology Infrastructure Corridor (SENIC)

纳米材料和器件的开发，以及将这些组件整合到完整的系统中，已经成为解决能源、健康和环境方面全球挑战的重要组成部分。然而，纳米尺度的科学和工程往往需要使用复杂和昂贵的工具和设备来制造和表征这些材料和器件。这就需要为学术机构的基础研究和小型和大型企业将这些发现转化为商业产品提供国家共享资源的支持。作为国家纳米技术协调基础设施（NNCI）计划的一部分，东南纳米技术基础设施走廊（SENIC）将在佐治亚理工学院的电子和纳米技术研究所和纳米科学与纳米工程联合学院之间建立伙伴关系，这是北卡罗来纳州立大学（NCA&amp；T）和北卡罗来纳大学格林斯博罗分校（UNCG）之间的学术合作。这个国家资源将为美国东南部不断增长的用户社区提供开放的纳米制造和表征设施和工具以及专家人员的支持。SENIC基础设施将加强和加速纳米科学和纳米工程的发现，既有利于传统学科，如电子和材料，也有利于新兴领域，如生物医学和环境科学。此外，由于社会和经济需求需要受过纳米技术工具和技术培训的熟练劳动力，SENIC将实施一项全面的教育和推广计划，其中包括对社会和道德负责的纳米技术的开发和使用课程，旨在接触到广泛和多样化的学生、教师和公众。凭借230多种纳米技术制造和表征工具，SENIC的目标是提供一站式的方法，包括自上而下的方法，使用纳米尺度图案化，以及自下而上的方法，基于纳米材料合成和增材加工。这种合作关系的一个特别优势是能够将纳米材料和设备连接到完整的封装系统。这有助于将纳米级研究成果更快地转化为生物医学/健康、能源、通信、智能交通、纺织和智能农业等领域的高影响力应用。SENIC将以跨学科的文化运作，工程师、科学家、医生、教育工作者、政策专家和经济发展专业人士共同努力，共享设施和工具，并对行业机遇和社会挑战有深刻的理解，以促进加速将发明转化为创新。此外，SENIC合作伙伴将与本科生和研究生合作，并与两年制技术学院合作，培养来自不同背景的科学和工程专业人才，以满足21世纪的全球劳动力需求。与此同时，通过实践课堂活动和互动设施参观的公众外展活动将鼓励K-12学生参与STEM管道，并将帮助建立一个知情的公民，支持纳米技术的安全发展。与教育计划紧密结合，SENIC将有一个社会和伦理影响计划，教育与纳米尺度科学和工程将有助于解决社会，环境和经济问题相关的挑战，同时预测和避免潜在的负面后果。

Development of nanoscale materials and devices, and incorporation of these components into full systems, has become an important part of addressing global challenges in energy, health, and the environment. However, nanoscale science and engineering often requires the use of complex and expensive tools and facilities for the fabrication and characterization of these materials and devices. This necessitates the support of shared national resources for both basic research in academic institutions and the translation of these discoveries into commercial products by small and large enterprises. As part of the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI) program, the Southeastern Nanotechnology Infrastructure Corridor (SENIC) will create a partnership between the Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, an academic collaboration between North Carolina A&T State University (NCA&T) and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). This national resource will provide open access to nanofabrication and characterization facilities and tools along with expert staff support to a growing user community across the southeastern U.S. The SENIC infrastructure will strengthen and accelerate discovery in nanoscience and nanoengineering, benefiting both traditional disciplines, such as electronics and materials, as well as newer areas, such as biomedical and environmental sciences. In addition, because societal and economic need requires a skilled workforce trained in the tools and techniques of nanotechnology, SENIC will implement a comprehensive education and outreach program, embedded with lessons in socially and ethically responsible development and use of nanotechnology, designed to reach a broad and diverse audience of students, teachers and the public.With access to more than 230 nanotechnology fabrication and characterization tools, SENIC's goal is to provide a one-stop-shop approach, covering both top-down approaches using nanoscale patterning, as well as bottom-up approaches based on nanomaterials synthesis and additive processing. A particular strength of the partnership is the ability to connect nanomaterials and devices to full packaged systems. This helps transition nanoscale research achievements more quickly into high-impact applications in biomedical/health, energy, communication, smart transportation, textiles and smart agriculture. SENIC will operate with an interdisciplinary culture where engineers, scientists, physicians, educators, policy experts, and economic development professionals work together with shared access to facilities and tools and a deep understanding of industry opportunities and societal challenges to promote the accelerated translation of invention into innovation. Furthermore, the SENIC partners will work with undergraduate and graduate students, as well as partner with 2-year technical colleges, to produce science and engineering professionals from diverse backgrounds who are ready to meet the global workforce demands of the 21st century. In tandem, the public outreach with hands-on classroom activities as well as interactive facility tours will encourage K-12 students to participate in the STEM pipeline and will help create an informed citizenry that supports the safe development of nanotechnology. Closely coupled with its education program, SENIC will have a social and ethical implications program that educates on the challenges associated with the expectations that nanoscale science and engineering will contribute to the solution of societal, environmental, and economic problems, while anticipating and avoiding potential negative consequences.