Nano-Innovator Grant

Nano-Innovator Grant for Early Career Researchers

We invite undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdocs, and anyone else anywhere in the world to submit proposals for independent experiments that will be supported by our lab’s funds. Proposals that translate advances in nanoscale research into practical nanotechnologies are particularly encouraged. The award is $10,000 USD. Number of awards will depend on the quality of applications received.

The project must be conceived and driven by the applicant and should not be an obvious extension of other research in their current lab. We hope to encourage unique, outside the box thinking, such as the ideas of soft lithography, computing with molecules, logic-gated nanobot, or integrating self-assembly with lithography. The ideas must include experimental verification plan; we don’t fund purely computational work. Collaboration between researchers in different labs and areas of nanoscience is encouraged. The award must be used solely to perform the experiments, to purchase materials & supplies, and to cover accommodations and travel. In addition, the awardees will be provided lab space, access to state-of-the-art equipment, and, if needed, mentorship in our lab at UC Berkeley during summer 2023. Awardees are expected to prepare a report and present their work at one of two conferences: DNA in Sendai, Japan or FNANO in Snowbird, USA.

Proposals should include: (1) 3-page description of the project (including any figures), (2) budget justification, and (3) CV. The proposal should address how the project is distinct from ongoing research in the researcher’s lab. Submission deadline is November 1, 2022. Announcement of award(s) is January 1, 2023. The anticipated performance period should ideally be within June 1 – August 31. If necessary, awardees should coordinate summer leave from their current lab with their PI.

2023 winner: https://twitter.com/nanoassembly/status/1608560760992722944

Please email proposals to gt3@berkeley.edu Submissions will be reviewed by a committee at different career stages and backgrounds. Applications from women and underserved minorities are particularly encouraged.