Northwestern Hosts 2021 NNCI Conference!

Northwestern’s SHyNE Resource team was delighted to be able to host the 6th Annual National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI) Conference November 2-3, 2021! The NNCI is a national resource that works to coordinate the nanoscale and development activity of sixteen research-intensive universities, their partner-sites, and national laboratories. These sites and facilities provide researchers from academia, small and large companies, and government with access to university user facilities with leading-edge fabrication and characterization tools, instrumentation, and expertise within all disciplines of nanoscale science, engineering, and technology. 
 
Held virtually over two days, with close to 200 participants, the program was packed with exciting facility updates, NNCI site reports, remarks from the Directors of the National Science Foundation & National Nanotechnology Coordinating Offices, brilliant breakout sessions, and NNCI staff award presentations to name but a few of the items on the agenda!  

Special thank you to Keynote speaker, Professor John Rogers on his amazing talk, Methods for Forming Three Dimensional Nanostructures and for Using Them in Unusual Devices and his groundbreaking research

Although the virtual format was not the preferred method of meeting, it was wonderful to be able to connect with colleagues in the field to consult, commiserate and congratulate at times regarding the challenges that have faced everyone over the last 2 years. As one can imagine, the residual effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic and subsequent shut-downs was much discussed, but so too was how each site was able to pivot their focus to address the needs of the facility, whether that be with virtual trainings, shoring up online content, shifting the focus of their research, often resulting in broadening their capabilities and finding unexpected strengths as a result.

Also, it should be mentioned we bid farewell to Professor Reggie Farrow, who is resigning from his appointment this year. What an honor it has been to have this brilliant mind be a part of the NNCI Advisory Board since it was formed in 2016! We wish him all the best; he will be missed! 

Thank you to all who joined us from all over the Country (and beyond!), to the Board of Directors for their insights, and to the coordinating committee who did a stellar job organizing this event! Looking forward to seeing everyone in-person (hopefully!) at next year’s NNCI Conference hosted by Cornell University in Ithaca, New York!