NNCI: Montana Nanotechnology Facility (MONT)

提案ID：2025391PI：David DickenSheetsInstitution：Montana State University标题：NNCI：The Montana NanoTechnology(Mont)FacilityAbstrraCTNon-技术描述：纳米技术使我们能够在纳米到微米的长度尺度上操纵和询问物理系统，它已经在许多科学研究和工程领域普及。因此，获得基本的纳米技术工具对来自许多学术学科和工业界的科学家和工程师来说变得越来越重要。蒙大拿纳米技术设施(MONT)是蒙大拿州立大学的NNCI网站，通过为来自不同社区的学习者提供共享仪器的获取、安全和有效使用的专家培训以及关于纳米科学和技术的广泛教育，促进与纳米技术相关的发现、教育和推广。Mont网站既为落基山脉北部和大平原的地区用户提供服务，也为美国各地需要蒙大拿州立大学提供的特定专业知识和设备的用户提供服务。这些用户正在追求不同的目标，包括在卫生保健诊断和外科解决方案、清洁能源来源、受污染土壤的修复战略以及与光学电信、成像系统和先进计算相关的技术方面的进展。许多用户正在开发前沿技术，在这些领域，生命科学或地球科学等传统学科正在与物理学和工程学相结合。通过加强我们对外部用户的服务，并在我们独特的制造和表征优势的基础上再接再厉，蒙大拿将有助于满足国家对获得纳米技术的需求，培训将开发未来纳米技术的劳动力，并开展教育和推广活动，让从幼儿园到研究生院的学生和教师、设施用户和普通公众参与和告知他们。技术说明：蒙大拿有助于满足地区和国家研究人员在跨学科前沿对获得纳米制造工具和工艺的日益增长的需求，以及在功能纳米结构材料、光学MEMS、微流体、量子材料以及生物和纳米地质结构和系统方面的本地专业知识。蒙特网站的目标是：(I)增加服务的外部用户数量；(Ii)扩大蒙特和NNCI在当地、地区和全国的影响力；(Iii)增强蒙特设施的能力；(Iv)整合当地和NNCI的最佳实践，为用户、STEM教育工作者和公众提供“一流”的教育机会；以及(V)增加我们企业的多样性。这些目标是通过以下具体举措实现的：加强对外部用户的培训、援助和宣传；提供研究启动用户资助计划；投资于新工具和能力；扩大现场和基于网络的教学和外联活动；通过专题研究社区将我们的用户与NNCI网络上的其他用户联系起来；创建西北纳米设施的区域网络；以及为STEM中代表性不足的学生创建一个新的研究参与计划。该项目特别改善了落基山脉北部/大平原地区对纳米技术基础设施的获取，并促进了纳米技术正在影响生命科学、医疗保健、能源、地球科学、环境和新兴技术行业(如量子科学和工程)的新兴领域的发现、教育和推广。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Proposal ID: 2025391PI: David DickensheetsInstitution: Montana State UniversityTitle: NNCI: The Montana Nanotechnology (MONT) FacilityABSTRACTNon-Technical Description:Nanotechnology, which gives us the ability to manipulate and interrogate physical systems on a length scale of nanometers to microns, has become pervasive in many fields of scientific inquiry and engineering. Access to basic nanotechnology tools has therefore become increasingly important for scientists and engineers from many academic disciplines and from industry. The Montana Nanotechnology Facility (MONT), an NNCI site at Montana State University, promotes discovery, education and outreach related to nanotechnology by providing access to shared-use instruments, expert training on their safe and effective use, and broad-based education about nanoscale science and technology for learners from diverse communities. The MONT site serves both regional users in the northern Rocky Mountains and Great Plains and users from across the U.S. who need the specific expertise and equipment found at Montana State University. Those users are pursuing diverse objectives that include advances in health care diagnostics and surgical solutions, sources of clean energy, remediation strategies for contaminated soils, and technologies related to optical telecommunications, imaging systems and advanced computing. Many users are developing technologies at the forefront where traditional disciplines such as life or earth sciences are converging with physics and engineering. By enhancing our service to external users and building on our unique fabrication and characterization strengths, MONT will help to meet a national need for access to nanotechnology, training the workforce that will develop the nanotechnology of the future, and education and outreach that engages and informs students and teachers from kindergarten to graduate school, facility users and the general public.Technical Description:MONT helps meet the growing need faced by regional and national researchers for access to nanofabrication tools and processes at the interdisciplinary frontiers, with local expertise in functional nanostructured materials, optical MEMS, microfluidics, quantum materials and biological and geological nanostructures and systems. The goals of the MONT site are: (i) to increase the number of external users served; (ii) to grow the local, regional and national impact of MONT and NNCI; (iii) to enhance MONT facility capabilities; (iv) to integrate local and NNCI best practices to offer “best in class” educational opportunities to users, STEM educators and the public; and (v) to increase the diversity of our enterprise. These goals are accomplished through specific initiatives that enhance training, assistance and advocacy for external users; offer a research initiation user grant program; invest in new tools and capabilities; expand on-site and web-based instructional and outreach activities; connect our users to others across the NNCI network through topical research communities; create a regional network for nano-facilities in the northwest; and create a new research engagement program for students who are underrepresented in STEM. The project specifically improves access to nanotechnology infrastructure in the northern Rockies/Great Plains region, and it promotes discovery, education and outreach in emerging fields where nanotechnology is impacting the life sciences, health care, energy, earth sciences, the environment, and emerging technology sectors such as quantum science and engineering.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.