The National Nanofabrication Users Network (NNUN): Potential Applicability for Bio/Biomedical Science and Technology

Abstract

For several decades the US scientific community has recognized the value of pooling specialized skills and equipment in centralized user facilities. Significant efficiencies are realized within the user community by avoiding unnecessary duplication and by moving projects more quickly to completion. The user facility concept served the nanofabrication community well for over two decades at the National Nanofabrication Facility (NNF) at Cornell. In 1994, the National Science Foundation expanded the concept by integrating NNF-Cornell (Now CNF) with several other nanofabrication programs throughout the country to form the National Nanofabrication Users Network (NNUN). Within this framework of a “users” network, scientists and engineers have access to state of the art equipment and expertise.NNUN consists of two “full service” hub facilities at Cornell (the Cornell Nanofabrication Facility) and Stanford (the Stanford Nanofabrication Facility), in association with specialized facilities at Howard, Penn State and UC-Santa Barbara. The network is managed by the 5 site directors, who are responsible to NSF program management and to a Network Advisory Board.