NIST Funds New Research Facilities

The National Institute of Standards & Technology has awarded more than $123 million in American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 funds to support construction of scientific research facilities at 11 universities and one nonprofit organization. The projects were chosen because they support research goals of NIST and of the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, including programs for the study of advanced materials, coral reefs, nanoscience, metrology, and quantum physics. Among the institutions getting awards are the University of Pittsburgh, which will receive $15 million for a new nanoscience lab; the University of Maine, which will get $12.4 million to build an advanced nanocomposites and renewable energy lab; the University of Kansas Center for Research, which will receive $12.3 million to build a measurement, materials, and sustainable environment center; and Georgia Tech Research Corp., which is getting $11.6 million for a pilot-scale lab to study carbon-neutral energy solutions.