Military nanotechnology is big in Texas

03 Nov 2006 | News
Seven universities in Texas are to get $1.4 million from the US Department of Defense.
By Michael Kenward
The Department of Defense in the USA is handing out $1.4 million to fund a consortium of seven leading Texas universities "to develop and commercialize revolutionary nanomaterials for the defense aerospace industry".
 
Called CONTACT, the Consortium for Nanomaterials for Aerospace Commerce and Technology or includes Rice University, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Texas at Dallas, the University of Texas at Arlington, the University of Texas at Brownsville, the University of Texas Pan American and the University of Houston.
 
The press release from Rice University, and probably the rest of the pack, tells us that "CONTACT's activities build upon a four-year federal investment in nanotechnology research infrastructure at the partner institutions. That program, the Strategic Partnership for Research in Nanotechnology (SPRING), was supported with $37.5 million for the purchase of critical equipment and infrastructure at the seven partner schools."
 
It goes on to say that:

CONTACT's research program calls for:

•  the establishment of an industrial partnership for transferring technology to the private sector and transitioning capabilities into Air Force and Department of Defense systems.

•  the formation of an intellectual property management team with at least five key industrial partners having technical transfer and transition experience.

•  the development of a broad network of commercialization partners that includes small- and medium-sized businesses.

•  one-third of CONTACT appropriations to go toward the purchase of critical R&D equipment and infrastructure.

•  the development of revolutionary nanomanufacturing platforms to enable transition of technologies into military applications and commercial products.

•  integration of education and research programs in aerospace technologies in collaboration with the University of Texas Pan American and the University of Texas Brownsville's Nano-at-the-Border Program to broaden the impact of the initiative to this historically under-represented region.
Just another example of the use of the USA's defence budgets to achieve all sorts of goals. Nothing wrong with that, but the rest of the world might like to take note.

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