Opportunities to Advance Your Science through National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure Site

By Linsey Marr, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech

The burgeoning fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology can help inform aerosol science and vice versa. In September 2015, the US National Science Foundation (NSF) committed US$81 million to support 16 National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI) sites for the purpose of advancing nanoscale science and technology research. Virginia Tech, in partnership with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, hosts an NNCI site whose goal is to enhance the ability to apply nanoscience and nanotechnology to help solve challenges in far-reaching and critical issues in all of the Earth sciences, including atmospheric science and related fields.

The Virginia Tech Nano Earth site is designed to provide cutting-edge laboratories and instrumentation to facilitate external scientific and engineering users in academia, government, and industry. The wide range of state-of-the-art facilities, instrumentation, and expertise in geoscience, environmental science, and engineering-related nanoscience and technology are available at a low cost to outside users. Prior knowledge and expertise in nanoscience and technology are not required. Additional information is available at: http://www.nanoearth.ictas.vt.edu/