Established in 2000, the International Institute for Nanotechnology (IIN) at Northwestern University is a global hub of excellence in the field and currently represents and unites over $600 million in nanotechnology research, educational programs, and supporting infrastructure.

The IIN brings together over 190 esteemed faculty members - 38 members of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and 44 on the Institute for Scientific Information Highly Cited Researchers list.

Collaborative partnerships exist in 23 countries, many with faculty and student exchange programs. Research at the IIN has applications across numerous fields and areas of importance to society at large. Additionally, the IIN has programs in place that ensure that new technologies more rapidly from the laboratory to the marketplace to benefit society. To date IIN research has resulted in over 900 patents; 20 successful start up companies; and over 200 products and systems that are being used worldwide.

Extensive capabilities to support this research are available through state-of-the-art instrumentation housed in user facilities on campus as well as with partnering institutions. The IIN has directly invested $12 million in state-of-the-art instrumentation, and $40 million has been invested in total.

Educational programs at the IIN are training the next generation of teachers and researchers, and outreach programs inform the academic community as well as the general public. The IIN has sponsored over 200 seminars, workshops, and symposia; supported over 300 undergraduates and 88 pre-college teachers in nanotechnology-related research; and launched two new journals (Small in partnership with Wiley Publishing and Nanoscape, the first undergraduate journal on nanotechnology in the country). Additionally, the IIN is partnering with the Museum of Science & Industry, Chicago on the development of a permanent exhibit on nanotechnology.

The IIN embodies an extraordinary combination of scientific capabilities, outreach programs, and partnerships that provide a unique and fertile ground from which to continue to make substantial contributions to the field and ensure that the U.S. remains a world leader in nanotechnology.

We invite you to explore the IIN web site for an overview of some of the IIN programs and to contact us if you would like to learn more.

Sincerely,
Chad A. Mirkin, Director

Call 847-491-5784 or email NANOTECHNOLOGY@NORTHWESTERN.EDU
for more information.