Centers and Networks

A highly significant impact of the NNI has been the focused investment by NNI-participating agencies in the establishment and development of multidisciplinary research and education centers devoted to nanoscience and nanotechnology. NNI agencies have developed an extensive infrastructure of more than 90 major interdisciplinary research and education centers and user facilities across the United States.

NNI Centers and Networks of Excellence

Government funds for nanotechnology research have created some of the most sophisticated nanoscience laboratories in the world. In addition to providing the facilities, the NNI also has created programs to attract researchers across an array of disciplines to facilitate discoveries.

Centers and networks provide opportunities and support for multidisciplinary research among investigators from a variety of disciplines and from different research sectors, including academia, industry and government laboratories. Such multidisciplinary research not only leads to advances in knowledge but also fosters relationships that enhance the transition of basic research results to devices and other applications.

The multidisciplinary centers are listed below, organized by funding agency.

Department of Defense

Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Center for Nanoscience Innovation for Defense
University of California-Santa Barbara, Riverside and Los Angeles

Institute for Nanoscience
Naval Research Laboratory

DARPA Center on Nanoscale Science and Technology for Integrated Micro/Nano-Electromechanical Transducers (iMINT)
University of Colorado

National Institutes of Health

Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory
National Cancer Institute, Frederick MD

NHLBI Programs of Excellence in Nanotechnology

Integrated Nanosystems for Diagnosis and Therapy
Washington University

Nanotechnology: Detection & Analysis of Plaque Formation
Emory University
Georgia Tech

Nanotherapy for Vulnerable Plaque
Burnham Institute

Translational Program of Excellence in Nanotechnology
Massachusetts General Hospital

Nanomedicine Development Centers

Center for the Optical Control of Biological Functions
University of California—Berkeley

Center for Cell Control
University of California—Los Angeles

Phi2 DNA-Packing Motor for Nanomedicine
Purdue University

Nanomedicine Center for Nucleoprotein Machines
Georgia Institute of Technology

National Center for Design of Biomimetic Nanoconductors
University of Illinois—Urbana-Champaign

Center for Protein Folding Machinery
Baylor University

Nanomedicine Center for Mechanobiology
Columbia University

Engineering Cellular Control: Synthetic Signaling and Motility Systems
University of California—San Francisco

National Cancer Institute's(NCI) Centers of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence

Carolina Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence
University of North Carolina

Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence and Translation
Stanford University

Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence at Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins University

Center for Translational Cancer Nanomedicine
Northeastern University

Dartmouth Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence
Dartmouth University

MIT-Harvard Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence
MIT and Harvard University, Massachusetts General Hospital

Nanomaterials for Cancer Diagnostics and Therapeutics
Northwestern University

Nanosystems Biology Cancer Center 2
California Institute of Technology

Texas Center for Cancer Nanomedicine
The University of Texas Health Science Center and The Methodist Hospital

NCI Cancer Nanotechnology Training Centers

Boston University Cross-Disciplinary Training in Nanotechnology for Cancer
Boston University

Integrative Cancer Nanoscience and Microsystems Training Center
University of New Mexico

Midwest Cancer Nanotechnology Training Center (M-CNTC)
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

The Johns Hopkins Cancer Nanotechnology Training Center
Johns Hopkins University

The University of Kentucky Cancer Nanotechnology Training Center
University of Kentucky

UCSD Cancer Nanotechnology Training Center
University of California San Diego

See the NCI Training Center page for more information.

National Science Foundation

Engineering Research Center

Center for Extreme Ultraviolet Science and Technology
University of Colorado—Boulder

Science and Technology Center

Nanobiotechnology Center
Cornell University

Nanoscale Science and Engineering Centers

Center for Hierarchical Manufacturing
University of Massachusetts—Amherst

Center for Nanoscale Systems (NSEC)
Cornell University

Science of Nanoscale Systems and their Device Applications (NSEC)
Harvard University

Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology
Rice University

Center for Integrated Nanopatterning and Detection Technologies (NSEC)
Northwestern University

Center for Electron Transport in Molecular Nanostructures (NSEC)
Columbia University

Center for Directed Assembly of Nanostructures (NSEC)
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Center for Scalable and Integrated Nano-Manufacturing (NSEC)
University of California—Los Angeles

Center for Chemical-Electrical-Mechanical Manufacturing Systems (NSEC)
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Center on Templated Synthesis and Assembly at the Nanoscale
University of Wisconsin

Center for Probing the Nanoscale
Stanford University

Center for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymeric Biomedical Devices
Ohio State University

Center of Integrated Nanomechanical Systems
University of California—Berkeley

Nano-Bio Interface Center
University of Pennsylvania

Center for High Rate Nanomanufacturing
Northeastern University

Center for Nanotechnology in Society
Arizona State University

Center for Nanotechnology in Society
University of California—Santa Barbara

Societal Interactions with Nanotechnology—NanoCenter
University of South Carolina

Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSECs)

These four MRSECs are fully dedicated to nanotechnology research:

Center for Nanoscale Science (MRSEC)
Pennsylvania State University

Center for Quantum and Spin Phenomena in Nanomagnetic Structures (MRSEC)
University of Nebraska, Lincoln

Center for Research on Interface Structure and Phenomena (MRSEC)
Yale University

Genetically Engineered Materials (MRSEC)
University of Washington

In addition, many other MRSECs have one or more interdisciplinary research group(s) focused on nanoscale science and engineering topics:

Center for Advanced Materials Research (MRSEC)
Brown University

Center for the Science & Engineering of Materials
California Institute of Technology

Center for Nanostructured Materials (MRSEC)
Columbia University

Center for Materials Research (MRSEC)
Cornell University

Center for Materials Science and Engineering (MRSEC)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Center for Sensor Materials (MRSEC)
Michigan State University

Materials Research Science (MRSEC)
Northwestern University

Center for Emergent Materials (MRSEC)
The Ohio State University

Princeton Center for Complex Materials (MRSEC)
Princeton University

Center on Polymer Interfaces and Macromolecular Assemblies (MRSEC)
Stanford University

Center for Materials for Information Technology (MRSEC)
University of Alabama

Center for Materials for Information Technology (MRSEC)
Materials Research Laboratory
University of California, Santa Barbara

Center for Materials for Information Technology (MRSEC)
Chicago Materials Research Center
University of Chicago

Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC)
University of Maryland

Materials Research Science and Engineering Center on Polymers (MRSEC)
University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC)
University of Minnesota

Center for Semiconductor Physics in Nanostructures (MRSEC)
University of Oklahoma

The Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter (MRSEC)
University of Pennsylvania

Center for Nanoscopic Materials Design (MRSEC)
Institute for Nanoscale and Quantum Scientific and Technological Advanced Research (nanoSTAR)
University of Virginia

NSF Nanoscale Science and Engineering Networks

Network for Computational Nanotechnology

National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network

Oklahoma Network for Nanostructured Materials

Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network

Network for Nanotechnology in Society
Arizona State University
University of California-Santa Barbara

Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research
University of New Mexico

Centers and Networks

Related Resources

NNI Centers and Networks of Excellence

Department of Defense

National Institutes of Health

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

National Institute of Standards and Technology (Department of Commerce)

National Science Foundation with the Environmental Protection Agency

National Science Foundation