Network for Computational Nanotechnology

计算纳米技术网络(NCN)成立于2002年，现已发展成为为新兴纳米科学和纳米技术领域的研究界提供服务的全国性资源。NCN正在创造新的知识、模拟方法、数值算法和开源软件，以帮助实现纳米科学的前景。NCN的研究人员正在进行三个关键的基础研究主题的模拟和建模研究：纳米电子学、纳米机电系统/纳米流体以及纳米生物学和医学。建模和仿真工具可通过基于网络的网络基础设施NanHUB提供给更广泛的研究社区，该网络基础设施位于www.nanHUB.org。NSF国家中间件倡议(NMI)增强了NanHUB的能力。NanHUB上的教育和资源服务的年度用户总数从2002年的不到2000人增加到2006年的15,000多人。NanoHUB还提供课程、研讨会和教程，这些课程、研讨会和教程正被692所美国学院和大学用作支持纳米科学和工程课程的教育工具。在接下来的五年里，NCN计划继续引入教学交付的新格式，这将使人们能够随时随地访问NanHUB服务。此外，预计工业界和学术界对精通通过NCN研究平台提供的模拟的学生以及从事纳米HUB开发和部署的计算机科学和工程专业的学生的需求将会很大。计算纳米技术网络是普渡大学、诺福克州立大学(NSU)、西北大学(NWU)、斯坦福大学(SU)、盖恩斯维尔佛罗里达大学(UF)、伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校(UIUC)和德克萨斯大学埃尔帕索分校(UTEP)的合作伙伴关系。通过NSF的支持，NCN将纳米科学和工程研究领域的理论家、计算科学家和设备工程师聚集在一起，以解决在理解纳米现象和实现集成纳米系统方面的建模和模拟挑战。此外，NCN还与加州大学伯克利分校(UCB)和哥伦比亚大学的两个纳米科学与工程中心(NSEC)、在线多媒体资源和在线教学资源(MERLOT)以及西北大学国家纳米科学与工程学习与教学中心建立了战略合作伙伴关系。随着续签申请的批准，加州大学伯克利分校NSEC的教师将加入核心的NCN团队。NCN的愿景是提供一个未来，在这个社区中，由共同的文化联合起来的、由共享的网络基础设施支持的多样化社区，使用理论、建模和模拟来加速纳米科学向纳米技术的转变。NCN团队致力于通过计算研究、模拟和实验相结合来探索纳米级现象和设备的研究。基于这项工作，NCN开发、修改和安装软件工具？在纳米级系统上执行模拟的工具--并通过由普渡？S计算基础设施支持的NanHUB网站向用户社区提供这些工具。NCN的使命是创建、部署和运营一个全国性的纳米技术理论、建模和模拟资源，利用网络基础设施建立和服务于涵盖研究、设计、制造、教育和推广的不同社区。这一使命体现在NanHUB中，并得到研究、教育和外联的支持。S网络中心的目标和目标是：(A)开展通过理论、建模和模拟来应对关键挑战的研究；(B)提供专业领导，将社区聚集在一起，识别挑战并推动该领域向前发展；(C)开发这一新领域所需的新软件工具；(D)降低限制实验者和教育工作者使用模拟的门槛，并使他们成为关键、有效的用户；(E)开发和部署网络基础设施，高效而有力地为模拟、教育和协作提供服务；(F)教育和培养一支劳动力队伍，以增加从事纳米技术的学生和教员的数量和多样性；(G)传播其工作成果；和(H)通过普遍可用的网络技术，让更广泛的社区参与进来。NCN正在通过提供计算密集的建模和模拟工具对理论和实验纳米尺度研究的一体化产生重要影响，截至2006年2月，近3500名模拟用户正在使用这些工具。此外，NCN正在制作对研究和教育领域的广泛用户产生影响的教育材料。除了用于研究和教育的模拟工具外，NanHub还提供许多课程、研讨会和教程，这些课程、研讨会和教程正被用作教育工具，以支持至少692所美国高等教育机构的纳米科学和技术课程。

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.