NSF PR 02-33 - April 30, 2002
NSF Planning Six New Science and Technology Center
Awards
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is considering
funding six new Science and Technology Centers (STCs)
nationwide that will conduct research in topics as
varied as space weather, new water-purification techniques
and new materials for information technology.
STCs serve as critical national resources, conducting
innovative research and exemplary educational activities.
While the specific details of the agreements will be
worked out between NSF and the institutions in the
coming months, NSF has agreed to commit about $115
million over five years. Program guidelines allow
for financial commitments of up to $20 million for
each center, but actual awards are subject to negotiation
between NSF and the lead institutions.
The centers consist of a lead institution and multiple
partners that may include other academic institutions,
industry and national laboratories. Expected lead
institutions include: Boston University; the University
of California, Davis; the University of California,
Los Angeles; the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign;
the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities; and the University
of Washington, Seattle.
"The range of awards NSF plans to make reflects the
enormous diversity of fundamental research that NSF
funds and we expect that these centers will important
strides in advancing knowledge in these fields and
in communicating that knowledge to the public," said
Dragana Brzakovic, staff associate in NSF's Office
of Integrative Activities.
Among the anticipated new awards is one led by Boston
University to build a comprehensive physics-based
numerical simulation model that describes the space
environment from the sun to the earth. UC Davis will
lead a center to study biophotonics, or the use of
light to visualize biological materials. A center
led by UCLA will design embedded networked sensing
systems for various applications, including seismic
and environmental monitoring.
Among other centers, the University of Illinois will
study new approaches to purifying water supplies.
At the University of Minnesota, new analytical tools
will be refined and developed to study the various
processes that sculpt the Earth's surface. A center
led by the University of Washington will examine innovations
in materials to aid in advancing computer and telecommunications
research.
NSF established the Science and Technology Center program
in 1987, responding to a Presidential commitment to
fund important fundamental research activities that
also create educational opportunities. The program
was also designed to encourage technology transfer
and provide innovative approaches to interdisciplinary
research challenges. In 1997, the STC program was
modified to emphasize the contributions of partnerships.
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