Renewed for 5 More Years!

Today is the first day of our Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology “Phase IIb” renewal! This means that the National Science Foundation (NSF) has renewed our grant funding so the Center can continue for another five years. As the Director of the CSN, I have given a lot of thought to the legacy of our work so far, and what I hope for our future.

*Gathered in person for our last CSN “all-hands” meeting in January 2020 (photo by Sue Martin)*

It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost 10 years since we started down this road, beginning with a 5-page proposal submitted to the NSF on October 15, 2011. Since that time, there have been 210 students/postdocs who have participated in CSN research, including 90 graduate students, 81 undergraduates, and 29 postdocs. The collective successes of CSN research are permanently recorded in the scientific literature through more than 138 papers to date. But more importantly, the success of the center lies in the professional and personal successes (and struggles!) of each individual – those of us in the Center now, and those who have gone before. I think it’s fair to say we have all grown a lot both personally and professionally (I know it’s true for me…).

*The CSN Phase I: A younger and smaller Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology, back in 2013 at our first all-hands meeting (photo courtesy of Bob Hamers)*

Now we have an opportunity for work together for 5 more years. As we look ahead, I hope that all of us will continue to use the CSN as a platform for professional and personal growth, to do great science, to challenge the status quo, to support one another, and to leverage the unique aspects of the Center environment to make the world a better place for everyone.