About NUSNNI

Nanoscience and nanotechnology have been identified worldwide as the key to unlocking a new generation of materials and devices with revolutionary properties and functionalities. The technology has already seen commercial success in multi-billion dollar industries such as the electronics and information storage industry, petroleum and  chemical industry and healthcare industry amongst others. The excitement over nanotechnology derives from the potentials associated with designing structures with dimensions right down to the fundamental building blocks of all materials - atoms and molecules. The state of nanotechnology now is comparable to the state of computer technology 40 years ago; this itself is strong motivation for many institutes and organisations to embark on nanotechnology research.

The National University of Singapore(NUS) acknowledges the global trend that nanotechnology is expected to be a key technology. NUS, in tradition of spearheading cutting-edge research programs, has launched the NUS Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Initiative (NUSNNI) to promote this area of research. The objective of NUSNNI is:• To develop research human capital and long-term research capabilities in the strategic field of nanoscience and nanotechnology.• To galvanize and coordinate multidisciplinary research effort (across departments, faculties and with the RIs) in nanoscience and nanotechnology. • To help set research priorities and directions for high impact nanoscience and nanotechnology research.

To do this, NUSNNI ties-up collaborative efforts between various disciplines within the university faculties and interested research partners. NUSNNI was established in January 2002 to provide the necessary support to facilitate efforts by faculties, researchers and students interested in pursuing this area of research. NUSNNI now involves more than 70 faculty and research staff from 20 research laboratories from different faculties of NUS. NUSNNI has defined strategic research focuses in nanoscience and technology, and helped its members secure internal and external research grants totally amounting to S$14 million. In addition to promoting research collaborations, NUSNNI has also launched various degree (PhD, MEng, BEng) programs for nanoscience and nanoengineering education with support from the Economic Development Board of Singapore.

Milestones of NUSNNI

On 14, January, 2002, NUSNNI was set up to promote research in nano-science and nanotechnology. It is a joint effort of faculty of science and faculty of engineering which coordinates multidisciplinary cross-facultycollaborations in nano-related areas. Prof. Ramakrishna and Prof. Weewere appointed Co-directors of NUSNNI.

Later in 2002, the NUSNNI Young Investigators Club (YIC) was organized to encourage young researchers to venture out of their traditional disciplines. Series of nano networking teas were conducted for initial interactions of NUS researchers.

Prof. Ramakrishna

Prof. A. T. S. Wee

In January, the first batch of Ph. D students supported by NUSNNI scholarship matriculated.

NUSNNI conducted seminars by external visitors and internal nano-tea presentation series throughout the year of 2003.

NUSNNI members organized various nano-related symposia of ICMAT 2003 held in November in Singapore.

In February, the Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Seminar was jointlyheld by NUSNNI, NTUNNC, and Temasek Labs@NUS/NTU. A jointworkshop by CNSI, IMRE and NUSNNI was conducted in UCSB inApril. NUSNNI was officially launched in association with the 1st

Nano-Engineering and Nano-Science Congress held in July.

The first NUSNNI IAP meeting was also conducted in July, andfive focus groups were identified and ten focus group chairsappointed.

In August, the first intake of the EDB-NUS Master of Engineering in Nanoengineering Programme matriculated.

During 1-4, November, the joint JSPS Singapore-Japan Symposium on Nanoscience and Nanotechnology was held at NUS.

NUSNNI Launch in July 2004 by Minister of Education,

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam

The Joint Korea-NUS Bionanotechnology Symposium was held inJuly at NUS.

In November, the NUS-Fudan Joint Centennial Symposium onBioengineering, Materials & Nanotechnology was organized.

The NUSNNI retreat was conducted in November for strategic review of NUSNNI.

The OLS-NUSNNI Joint Symposium on Bionanotechnology was conducted on 1-Sept.

The first NUSNNI management board meeting was held on 12-Sept. to review the research achievements of focus groups. The focus group chairs were re-appointed.

Group photo for NUSNNI retreat