The new school of nanosciences will offer doctoral and master's degree programs combining physics, chemistry, computer science, biology with nanotechnology, and advanced materials studies. Karen Hitchcock, university president, says the fledgling effort is part of the university's strategy to build "world-class academic and research programs." The ultimate aim, she adds, is to create "a highly qualified pool of future scientists and researchers and to advance the high-tech industries so critical to the economic strength of our state and nation."

Officials stress the multidisciplinary nature of the school and point out that it will draw on the infrastructure of the university's Institute for Materials. The institute oversees interdisciplinary research conducted at six centers in nanotechnology, nanoelectronics, and advanced materials. The new school will offer masters and doctoral degrees in single- and multilayered thin-film material structures; optoelectronic materials and architectures; nanosystems sciences and technologies; materials for nanotechnology; materials characterization, analysis, and metrology; and molecular materials and architectures.

THE NEXT STEP: George Sirinkis, a graduate student, analyzes the thin-film structure of a 200-mm wafer at the university's Institute for Materials facilities.

The materials institute is based at the university's Center for Environmental Sciences and Technology Management, which houses a pilot prototyping facility for processing 200-mm wafers. The university plans to add a wing that will house what officials are calling "a 300-mm wafer prototyping and workforce training facility."

Two scientists based at the center, James Castracane and Eric Lifshin, have been tapped to be the first senior faculty members at the new school of nanosciences and materials. Castracane is the institute's director of technology and adjunct professor in the physics and biology departments. Lifshin is a new faculty member, having left his position as head of a 75-member scientific team at General Electric to join the university as director of electron imaging facilities and metrology.

The $150 million in private-public funding has been pledged for the state's Center of Excellence in Nanoelectronics, which is also located at the university. IBM is contributing $100 million of the total; the state is providing the remaining funds. The funds will be used to build the 300-mm chip prototyping facility. It is the largest single university contribution in the history of IBM "by an order of magnitude," says John Kelly, group executive of IBM's Technology Group.

New York has already contributed approximately $70 million for microelectronics and nanoelectronics research at the nanotechnology center. The center is part of a statewide $1-billion high-tech initiative launched this year by Governor George Pataki, whose Centers of Excellence plan is intended to leverage $3 in funds from industrial, federal, university, and other sources for every $1 of state investment. Once the university taps all funding resources, the budget for the nanoelectronics center of excellence is expected to total $200 million over the next five years.