RTNN Celebrates 5 Years Supporting Nano with a Successful Renewal

We recently marked 5 years of programming focused on raising awareness of nanotechnology and the core facilities that support innovative nanoscience research. While celebrating these efforts, we learned that the RTNN is one of sixteen sites nationwide renewed for an additional five years of funding. NSF will invest a total of $84 million in the renewal of the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI). NSF established NNCI in 2015 with an $81 million investment.

More information about the award can be found on the NSF Award Website. News articles from the NSF, UNC, Duke, and NC State highlight the impact and success of the RTNN and broader NNCI.

Educators Showcase their Nano-Research

RTNN RET 2019 Poster Session
RET Participants share their summer research.

The RTNN hosted 11 educators this summer from Durham, Johnston, Wake, and Chatham Counties. The educators worked in small teams in research labs at NC State, Duke, and UNC as well as a start-up company, Smart Material Solutions. During their time in the program, educators were exposed to and participated in research in cutting-edge laboratories. They also had the opportunity to utilize multiple nanotechnology techniques and tools in RTNN facilities including atomic layer deposition, photolithography, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Projects ranged from the creation and analysis of thin films to the development of new filter materials. Educators also wrote innovative lesson plans linked to their research to bring back to their home institutions. The program culminated in a poster session where teachers shared their summer work and how they will use their experiences in their classroom.

For more information about the RTNN’s RET Site, Atomic Scale Design and Engineering, visit the program website. Information and application instructions for next year’s program will be available in early 2020.

New NNCI Video Introduces the Network

The RTNN is one of sixteen sites that make up the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI). The National Science Foundation (NSF) supports these sites, their affiliated partners, and a coordinating office. Want to learn more about the NNCI and its programs? The NNCI recently published a video to introduce the network and describe its mission.

Professor Jim LeBeau Awarded NSF MRI for new $2M TEM

Professor Jim LeBeau, Associate Director of the Analytical Instrumentation Facility (AIF) and Associate Professor in NC State’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering has been awarded funds from NSF’s Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program to acquire a new TEM. The instrument will be available to users starting in the summer of 2018.

More information about the instrument and its capabilities can be found here.

NSF/NBC Video Series “Super Small Science” Teaches the Importance of Nanotechnology to a Broad Audience

The National Science Foundation (NSF) and NBC News teamed up to produce a six-part series on how nanoscale materials and systems are being used in real-world technologies. These 5-6 minutes videos cover a variety of topics, including quantum dots for solar cells, nano electronics, nanoscale coatings, and nanosensors for cancer diagnosis and treatment.