NNCI: Northwest Nanotechnology Infrastructure (NNI)

非技术描述：NNCI西北纳米技术基础设施(NNI)网站是太平洋西北地区及其他地区纳米技术研究人员和工程师的主要资源。NNI由西雅图的华盛顿大学(UW)和科瓦利斯的俄勒冈州立大学(OSU)的世界级设施组成，并得到能源部太平洋西北国家实验室(PNNL)和新成立的西北纳米技术实验室联盟的独特能力的补充。NNI总部设在华盛顿大学，位于充满活力的生物技术和初创企业的中间，为不同的用户群提供最先进的工具和专门的培训，特别关注光子学、量子、清洁能源和生物医学领域。NNI的使命由核心服务组成，这些服务可以用Make-measure-Mentor这三个支柱来概括。制造和测量形式网站的物质基础和导师反映了教育努力的协调，包括那些对科学界具有广泛影响的努力。NNI的物理基础设施包括华盛顿纳米制造设施(WNF，西雅图)、材料合成与表征设施(MASC，Corvallis)和制造先进技术与制造研究所(Atami，Corvallis)，以及用于测量的分子分析设施(MAF，西雅图)、俄勒冈工艺创新中心(OPIC，Corvallis)和环境压力表面表征实验室(APSCL，Corvallis)。无论是新手还是经验丰富的工程师或科学家，无论是本科生、研究生、博士后还是社区学院的学生或教师，所有用户都可以灵活地访问NNI设施，从本地用户的全面培训到操作员辅助工具访问再到远程项目执行。技术描述：NNI是一个基础广泛的纳米技术资源，但该网站将在三个主要研究重点领域发挥领导作用：(I)光子和量子设备，旨在实现大规模集成光子网络和量子信息系统，预计将克服目前电子电路在速度和带宽方面的限制。除了信息处理，医疗设备中光子学的微型化和集成正在促进新的、微创健康诊断的发展；(Ii)先进能源材料和设备，旨在为清洁能源解决方案提供科学和工程基础，包括创造更好的电池或可扩展的、对环境友好的太阳能材料；(Iii)生物纳米接口和系统，提供基础设施和专业知识，用于发明和演示生物医学应用的新设备，使蛋白质建模、药物输送、传感器、生物支架和生物电子学方面的进展成为可能。NNI教育活动面向广大受众，旨在产生倍增效应。提供了三个标志性的住宿计划：(I)来自当地部落学校的驻校教师获得动手实验室技能，用于教授他们的K-12课程；(Ii)青年科学和工程暑期体验(SESEY)让STEM中代表性不足的群体的学生接触到工程职业；以及(Iii)在校园和面对面的学习体验鼓励来自当地和地区K-12学区的学生走上大学的道路。此外，NNI还通过在华盛顿大学的工程发现日和西雅图太平洋科学中心的国家纳米技术日等备受瞩目的活动中的展品来吸引更广泛的公众。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。

Non-Technical Description:The NNCI Northwest Nanotechnology Infrastructure (NNI) site serves as the prime resource for nanotechnology researchers and engineers in the Pacific Northwest region and beyond. The NNI consists of world-class facilities at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle and Oregon State University (OSU) in Corvallis, complemented by unique capabilities available at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), and through the newly established Northwest Nanotechnology Laboratory Alliance. Anchored at the UW and located in the midst of a vibrant biotech and startup scene, the NNI offers state-of-the-art tools and specialized training to a diverse user base with particular attention to the photonics, quantum, clean energy and biomedical fields. The mission of NNI consists of core services that can be summarized by the pillars Make - Measure - Mentor. Make and Measure form the site’s physical foundation and Mentor reflects the coordination of educational efforts, including those with broad impact beyond the scientific community. The NNI’s physical infrastructure consists of the Washington Nanofabrication Facility (WNF, Seattle), the Materials Synthesis & Characterization Facility (MaSC, Corvallis) and the Advanced Technology and Manufacturing Institute (ATAMI, Corvallis) for making, and the Molecular Analysis Facility (MAF, Seattle), the Oregon Process Innovation Center (OPIC, Corvallis) and the Ambient Pressure Surface Characterization Laboratory (APSCL, Corvallis) for measuring. Whether novice or seasoned engineer or scientist, whether undergraduate, graduate, postdoc or community college student or teacher, all users are offered flexible access to NNI facilities, from comprehensive training of local users to operator-assisted tool access to remote execution of projects. Technical Description:The NNI serves as a broad-based nanotechnology resource, though three principal research focus areas highlighted in which the site will provide leadership: (i) Photonic and Quantum Devices, which aims at enabling large-scale integrated photonic networks and quantum information systems that are expected to overcome current limits in speed and bandwidth of electronic circuits. Beyond information processing, the miniaturization and integration of photonics in medical devices is facilitating the development of new, minimally invasive health diagnostics; (ii) Advanced Energy Materials and Devices, which aims at providing the scientific and engineering basis for clean energy solutions, including the creation of better batteries or scalable and environmentally benign materials for solar power; and (iii) Bio-Nano Interfaces and Systems, which provides the infrastructure and expertise for inventing and demonstrating new devices for biomedical applications, enabling advances in protein modeling, drug delivery, sensors, bio-scaffolds and bioelectronics. NNI educational activities are geared towards a broad audience and designed to have a multiplier effect. Three signature residence programs are offered: (i) Educators-in-residence from local tribal schools gain hands-on laboratory skills for use in teaching their K-12 classes; (ii) Summer Experiences in Science and Engineering for Youth (SESEY) expose students from groups underrepresented in STEM to careers in engineering; and (iii) on-campus and in-person learning experiences encourage college-going paths for students from local and regional K-12 school districts. In addition, the NNI engages the broader public through exhibits at high-profile events such as Engineering Discovery Days at UW and National Nanotechnology Day at the Seattle Pacific Science Center.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.