The creation of NC3 was also the impetus for a landmark agreement that brings federal research expertise and resources to CNSE's Albany NanoTech Complex. Through a first-ever partnership between CNSE, through NC3, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), through its Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST), CNSE and NIST are working collaboratively to share research, equipment, staff and other key resources to enable development of innovative nanoscale metrology and imaging solutions, as well as formulation and deployment of pioneering techniques for the measurement of materials at the nanoscale.
The collaboration, in turn, has already triggered new investments totaling more than $15 million from the Nanoelectronics Research Initiative (NRI), New York State and six of the world's leading nanoelectronics corporations. Another $1 million in federal funding was secured through the Omnibus appropriations bill to further expand NC3 and leverage $10 million in additional corporate research, development, and funding for CNSE and its university partners across the country.