Dr. Alfonso Ortega
Program Director, Thermal Transport and Thermal Processing Program, Division of Chemical and Transport Systems and Coordinator, Nanotechnology Interdisciplinary Research Teams Program, Directorate for Engineering, The National Science Foundation

Presentation: "U.S. National Science Foundation Initiatives in Micro and Nanoscale Research"

The National Science Foundation is a major partner in the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), which is responsible for coordination of federal funding of nanotechnology initiatives in the U.S. Since FY 2000, the NSF has directed $1.6 billion towards nanotechnology research, with over $600 million in engineering research, conducted primarily by academic research teams but also by technology companies. The Division of Chemical and Transport Systems has been responsible for much of the funding of micro- and nano-scale research in fluid dynamics, heat transfer, and chemical transport phenomena in many technology areas, including: thermal management of electronics, bio-molecule and chemical sensing, catalysis and bio-catalysis, nano-manufacturing, and nano materials processing. This talk will present an overview of NSF funding initiatives in micro and nanoscale research, with emphasis on interdisciplinary crosscutting research involving Chemical and Transport Systems engineering topics. Examples of NSF funded research will be used to illustrate major research directions and emerging areas.