The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has awarded $34.12 million in grants for measurement science and engineering research, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The grants will support 27 projects at higher-education, commercial, and nonprofit organizations in 18 states, focusing on six critical national research areas:
1. Energy: Projects include developing measurement techniques for SiC-SiO2 interfaces in power MOSFET devices, calibrating phasor measurement units for smart grid deployment, and creating a database of thermophysical properties for biofuels.
2. Environment/Climate Change: Research will focus on developing advanced measurement techniques for carbonaceous nanoparticles in atmospheric aerosols, improving aircraft-based greenhouse gas measurements, and creating buoy sensor technology for marine CO2 system observation.
3. Information Technology/Cybersecurity: Projects include developing measurement science for cloud computing, benchmarking cryptographic hardware and software, and characterizing radio wave propagation for wireless body area networks.
4. Biosciences/Healthcare: Research will focus on developing reference methods for measuring prostate specific antigen and sex steroids, creating a microfluidic platform for multiplexed protein measurements from single cells, and developing an in vitro human testbed for evaluating therapeutic antibodies.
5. Manufacturing: Projects include developing a framework for measuring and communicating the sustainability of manufactured products and processes, creating accurate metrology for free-form surfaces, and developing measurement techniques for nanometer-scale magnets.
The projects will receive funding ranging from $408,996 to $1.5 million and will last three years. The grants aim to create high-tech jobs, spur economic growth, and support U.S. world leadership in science and technology.
Keywords: Quantum Mechanics, Measurement Science, Metrology, Magnetometers, Nanometer-Scale Magnets
