• Pennsylvania Nanofabrication Manufacturing Technology (NMT) Partnership
• National Nanotechnology Applications and Career Knowledge (NACK) Network
• Professional Development Programs

The NACK Network provides national coordination of workforce development programs and activities on behalf of NSF in an effort to meet industry needs for skilled micro- and nanofabrication workers.

The NACK Network is a working, productive nanotechnology workforce development partnership involving educational institutions across the U.S. The network's mission is to enable core-skills nanotechnology education at two-year community and technical colleges and four-year universities and colleges through partnerships with research universities. It emphasizes broad student preparation and fosters sharing of such resources as course lecture information and lab materials, workshops for curricular development and faculty preparation, and industry-developed workforce skill standards.

The NACK Network currently has hubs built on this concept of nanotechnology education partnerships between a research university and other post-secondary institutions in place in seven states and Puerto Rico. Its Pennsylvania hub, for example, involves more than 30 undergraduate institutions and Penn State. Educators from all 50 states have accessed and used NACK Network materials and services, which are available at www.nano4me.org. A report by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology recently cited NACK's success in "bringing meaningful core-skills nanotechnology workforce education to technical and community colleges across the nation."

The Pennsylvania Nanofabrication Manufacturing Technology (NMT) Partnership is a higher education collaborative dedicated to creating and updating a workforce in Pennsylvania trained in the exciting field of nanotechnology. The NMT academic programs are offered by partner institutions and include associate degree , baccalaureate degree , and certificate  pathways to an education in nanotechnology.  These pathways can open the door to well-paying careers in a variety of industries such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, micro-electromechanical devices (MEMs), opto-electronics, sensors, information storage, power electronics and, of course, microelectronics (chips). The NMT “updating” activities include workshops for industry and for teachers as well as Nanotech Camps for secondary school students.

How the NMT Partnership Works

The defining feature of the partnership is the sharing of the nanofabrication facilities, staff, and faculty at the Penn State University Park Campus with educational partners across the Commonwealth. 

These NMT educational partners include:

• Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges
• The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PSSHE)
• Pennsylvania College of Technology
• The Pennsylvania State University

All the activities and programs of the NMT Partnership are coordinated by the Center for Nanotechnology Education and Utilization (CNEU) at the Penn State University Park campus.