Research
The Space Nanotechnology Laboratory (SNL) at MIT conducts research on nanofabrication, nanometer-accuracy x-ray optics fabrication, assembly and metrology, ultra-high resolution lithography, nanometrology, and nano-accuracy diffraction grating fabrication. SNL's pride and joy is the world’s most advanced grating patterning tool, the Nanoruler -- a ruler with "ticks" only a few hundred billionths of a meter apart. Applications for the Nanoruler (patent pending) might include the manufacture of computer chips and space physics. More information, including images and a White Paper describing the Nanoruler, are available from this website. The website also provides a history of the Laboratory, a description of other projects, and an extensive list of papers, many of which are short and available online.
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New and Emerging Themes in Industrial and Applied Mathematics (NETIAM) is a project of the Smith Institute and supported by the European Commission's programme in New and Emerging Science and Technology (NEST). Starting in March 2004 and lasting for 15 months, the project brings together researchers from the Smith Institute, Fraunhofer-ITWM in Germany, the Technical University of Eindhoven in The Netherlands, the University of Firenze in Italy and Ventspils University College in Latvia. Using mathematical frameworks, they will identify ground-breaking research directions in four themes: modelling the business environment; modelling criminality in the social environment; visualization and simulation of materials; and complexity at the molecular level. Thematic Workshops "will exploit the brainstorming capabilities of the participants in a facilitated think-tank environment" and a final plenary workshop will report the results of their work. The website provides additional information on the project and invites researchers to join in the Thematic Workshops. [VF]
Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science (DIMACS) is a collaborative project between Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Princeton University, AT&T Labs - Research, Bell Labs, Telcordia Technologies, and NEC Laboratories America. Affiliate members include Avaya Labs, HP Labs, IBM Research, and Microsoft Research. Their focus is on the development, application and dissemination of discrete mathematics (dm) and theoretical computer science (tcs). The research the center supports has applications to problems in fields such as telecommunications, networking, transportation, engineering, and cryptanalysis, as well as biology, chemistry, management, and decision making. The center offers research conferences and workshops, visiting scientists programs, and other activities for high school teachers and students. Information on enrolling in these programs, as well as several of their technical reports and other publications, is available from the website. [VF]
The New York University Center for Advanced Technology (CAT) promotes the development and dissemination of multimedia technologies and applications. As one of fifteen New York State Centers for Advanced Technology, the Center "uses its multimedia technology expertise to augment the efforts of faculty, staff, and researchers working in new media." Through partnerships between NYU faculty, the wider academic community, and leading members of various industries, the Center develops multimedia technologies, tools, services, and products. The three main activities include facilitating research activities, providing "a platform for discussions regarding technology and its impact," and promoting economic development in the greater New York area. The News Archive provides a nice overview of some of the work from the past several years. The Technologies and Projects section of the website describes some of the center's innovative technologies and projects, and demonstrates some of its works-in-progress. [VF]
The Applied Mathematics Lab of the Courant Institute is an interdisciplinary research lab, combining applied mathematics, physics, and biology in experimental research and educational laboratory demonstration. The lab is described as "an arena where mathematical theory and numerical simulation collide with experimental observation and measurement." Project descriptions and research papers are available online. One focus of study is "the interaction of flowing fluids with moving and flexible bodies" and some sample project titles include: Drag Reduction through Self-Similar Bending of a Flexible Body, Mathematical Models of the Heart, and Simulation of Insect Flight. [VF]
IEEE's Power Electronics Society (PELS) "helps in the development and effective application of power electronics technology." Power electronics is definted as "the application of electronic circuits to energy conversion," which is used "everywhere you look," including in computers automobiles, telecommunications, space systems and satellites motors, lighting, and alternative energy. The PELS newsletter is available free online, but the bimonthly series of peer-reviewed papers (the IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics) is for members only. The website also provide some background information on the main areas of power electronics research and states that volunteers will respond to questions about power electronics. Information on PESL conferences and workshops is also provided. [VF]
http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/toc.asp?Report=106
Who uses the internet, where, when, why and how? The Pew Internet & American Life Project is a non-profit project of the Pew Research Center for People and the Press that conducts and funds "original, academic-quality research that explores the impact of the Internet on children, families, communities, the work place, schools, health care and civic/political life." Research methods include "phone and online surveys; data-gathering efforts that will often involve classic shoe-leather reporting from government agencies, academics, and other experts; fly-on-the-wall observations of what people do when they are online; and other efforts that try to examine individual and group behavior." Reports, summaries, and charts on research addressing these questions about internet usage among other topics are available free online. Another section of the website keeps track of news stories reporting on the project's research findings. Interested researchers can also obtain "raw data" files in SPSS or Word in order to conduct further analysis. [VF]
http://www.mines.edu/research/ccacs/
The Center for Commercial Applications of Combustion in Space (CCACS) is a NASA / Industry / University space commercialization center based at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) in Golden, Colorado. CCACS conducts research and offers students coursework and experience in combustion or related scientific areas. An emphasis is placed on research results that can be "applied to the development of commercial products and processes, where the research can benefit from the unique properties of space, and where the research addresses NASA's priorities in exploring space." Commercialization projects address combustors, fire safety and suppression, and advanced materials. The website describes the center's research approach, provides updates on current projects and events, and a promotional video called Partners in Space illustrates why one should study combustion in space. [VF]
