Industry News

The National Institute of Standards and Technology awarded a total of $50 million in funding in October of 2010 to support the construction of scientific research facilities. The grants include:

The University of Michigan will begin construction in spring of 2011 on the $46 million Center of Excellence in Nano Mechanical Science and Engineering in Ann Arbor. Supported by $9.5 million in funding from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the three-story, 62,800-sf facility will house faculty offices and 60 laboratory modules for the study of nanoengineering, imaging and optics, materials, biosystems, micro-bioengineering, mechanics and mechanical testing, and microdynamics. Completion is expected in May of 2012.

The University of Nevada, Reno is initiating an $18 million expansion of the Center for Civil Engineering Earthquake Research. The project is supported by $12.2 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology. Adding 7,000 sf to the existing 23,000-sf facility, the completed 30,000-sf laboratory will house five large shake tables capable of replicating any recorded earthquake. Completion is expected in 2013.

Stanford University School of Medicine opened the $200 million Lorry I. Lokey Stem Cell Research Building in October of 2010 in Palo Alto, Calif. Ground was broken on the four-story, 200,000-sf project in October of 2008. Designed by Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects, the facility features an open design to foster interaction and collaboration.

The University of California, Los Angeles opened the renovated Terasaki Life Sciences Building in October of 2010. Located on the Westwood campus, the $48 million facility provides 33 open labs for collaborative research in genomics, neuroscience, biology, and regenerative medicine. The building features advanced HVAC filtration, plant growth chambers, and temperature controlled suites.