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PRESS RELEASE: National Science Foundation Selects Museum of Science, Boston to Head $20 Million Network for Public Engagement with Nanotechnology

Museum of Science to partner with the Exploratorium in San Francisco and the Science Museum of Minnesota to lead the efforts of multiple science museums and research institutions nationally

The Museum of Science, Boston (MoS) announced today, in partnership with the Science Museum of Minnesota and the Exploratorium in San Francisco, that it has been selected by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to lead a $20 million effort to form a national Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Network) of multiple science museums and research institutions. The NISE Network will collaboratively develop and distribute innovative approaches to engaging Americans in nanoscale science and engineering education, research, and technology. The $20 million award to the Museum of Science and its partners for the five-year effort is the largest award NSF has ever given to the science museum community.

“The nanotechnology field is rapidly evolving with fundamental advances in physical and life sciences being seen in all areas of our society from medicine to manufacturing, and outcomes with technological, economic, social, environmental and ethical implications that may change our world,” said Mihail Roco, key architect of the National Nanotechnology Initiative and Senior Advisor for Nanotechnology of the National Science Foundation. “An increased understanding of nanoscale science and engineering is vital to create an informed citizenry and a competitive workforce for this broad-based technology, and we recognize the substantial role of science museums and other informal science education institutions in pioneering innovative science learning experiences, supplementing K-12 school-based science education, and engaging adult audiences.”

Leading educators and researchers will closely collaborate in this endeavor steered by an experienced science museum group. The MoS will both administer the project and will focus on the creation of an informal science education media network and adult education and forum programs for adults and older youth with an emphasis on discussion, dialogue, and deliberation of the issues raised by the emergence of nanotechnologies. The Science Museum of Minnesota will lead the Network’s NISE Center for Exhibit and Program Production and Dissemination, while San Francisco’s Exploratorium will oversee the Center for NISE Research. The NISE Network is not only the first one to address nanotechnology informal education but also is a new way in which NSF is placing its funding to National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) centers and networks to be more relevant to society. The NNI is a federal program established to coordinate the efforts of 24 federal agencies in nanoscale research.

Nanoscale science and engineering explores revolutionary approaches to producing new kinds of materials, systems, and devices through the control and manipulation of matter at the nanoscale (one billionth of a meter), the realm of individual atoms and molecules. The federal government’s current investment in nanotechnology research is expected to lead to far-reaching and beneficial outcomes for healthcare, manufacturing, information processing, defense, construction and transportation, energy production and conservation. These breakthroughs will likely require an overhaul in science and engineering education and will also have economic, environmental, cultural and societal dimensions that will require public input and guidance.

“The NSF’s support of nanotechnology education initiatives is key to our ability to continue to keep the public informed on these important scientific and technological developments,” said Larry Bell, VP for Research, Development and Production at the Museum of Science and NISE Network project lead. “Building the Network will be an outstanding opportunity for the nation’s science museums to collaborate and leverage their creative efforts for greater overall educational impact, while also providing opportunities to strengthen ties between informal science educators, the scientific research community, and K-12 curricula developers.”

The first two years of the project will focus on the development of the NISE Network and research on best approaches to engaging public audiences in understanding and discussing nanoscale science and engineering themes and perspectives, through the development of a wide variety of prototype exhibits, programs, media, and professional development activities.

The second phase of the project, beginning in October 2007, will focus on the production, implementation, and dissemination of educational and professional development activities and materials. The NISE Network leadership team has set the aggressive goal to provide some form of educational materials to 100 informal educational sites by the end of 2010.

This award was made as a Cooperative Agreement by the Informal Science Education program in the Education and Human Resources Directorate and is being co-funded by 12 Research and Related Activities programs across NSF.

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Highlights of NISE Network Deliverables

• Interactive Programs and Exhibits for science museums and non-traditional venues that will engage visitors in inquiry-based learning.
• Immersive Media such as planetarium shows and 3D cinema that will utilize powerful audio-video imagery to capture the attention of the public and showcase the “nanoworld.”
• A Visualization Lab where visitors will be able to explore the hidden dimensions and features of the nanoscale landscape.
• Public Forums that will facilitate science communication and provide opportunities for open public discussion and deliberation on issues related to nanotechnology.
• A Media Network and the associated content that will bring current developments in nanoscale research to a broad audience through public display.
• A Website that will support public understanding of current research in nanoscale research by providing on-line access to exhibits, media, and interactive activities, and a gateway to other resources.
• Professional Development efforts that will foster ongoing collaborations between researchers and educators and train skilled nano science educators and communicators.
• An online Professional Resource Center that will provide current information about nanotechnology education, tools and materials, research and evaluation, and other professional resources.

About the NISE Network Partners
In addition to the core leadership team of the Museum of Science, Boston, the Science Museum of Minnesota and the Exploratorium in San Francisco, institutional working partners of the NISE Network include the New York Hall of Science, the Sciencenter in Ithaca, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, the Museum of Life and Science in North Carolina, the Association of Science-Technology Centers, the Materials Research Society, and nanotech education research groups at Cornell University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Purdue University. Also part of the network are 30 additional advisors and thinking partners that represent other science museums and nano research centers, libraries, media organizations, the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network and the National Center for Learning and Teaching (NCLT) in Nanoscale Science and Engineering, headquartered at Northwestern University, which is developing nanoscale curricula for middle and high schools. The MoS is already engaged in significant educational outreach partnerships with the Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center (NSECC) headquartered at Harvard University, and the Center for High-Rate Nanomanufacturing headquartered at Northeastern University.

About the Museum of Science, Boston
One of the world’s largest science centers, the Museum is ranked sixteenth among the “50 Overall Top-Rated Attractions” in the Zagat Survey’s “U.S. Family Travel Guide” and one of the top two science museums nationwide. The Museum’s interactive, hands-on exhibits and lively staff demonstrations demonstrate the excitement and relevance of science, engineering and technology in daily life. In 2001, the Museum launched the innovative Current Science & Technology Center (CS&T), which offers up-to-date science and technology news stories through staff and guest researcher presentations, exhibits and media. In 2004, the Museum launched the National Center for Technological Literacy (NCTL). With Massachusetts as the first state to develop statewide curricular frameworks and assessments for engineering at all levels K-12, NCTL is helping facilitate a nationwide expansion of technology literacy by working with regional schools. NCTL fosters learning about how technologies are created and used by offering educational products and programs for pre-K-12 students and teachers, creating curricula, supporting an online resource center, and engaging in partnership and outreach with other institutions. As part of its mission of advancing technological literacy, the NCTL is also collaborating with other science centers across the country to create exhibits and programs that engage visitors in engineering, helps them explore cutting-edge technologies, and encourages them to consider and discuss the interactions between technology and society.

About the Science Museum of Minnesota
The Science Museum of Minnesota is the Upper Midwest’s most popular museum, inspiring millions of people each year to explore their changing world through science. Among the nation’s largest and most esteemed science museums, the Science Museum's hands-on exhibits and giant screen films were enjoyed by more than 2.6 million people in 2005. The museum’s science staff conducts active research, including worldwide mercury pollution assessments and paleontological field work from Madagascar to Montana. Education programs reach more than 250,000 students in Minnesota through field trips and outreach programs. Additionally, the Science Museum of Minnesota is the leading provider of professional development opportunities for educators across the state. A perpetual favorite for local residents and tourists alike, the Science Museum was named as City Pages Readers' Choice for Best Museum in both 2004 and 2005. For more information, call (651) 221-9444 or visit www.smm.org.

About the Exploratorium
The Exploratorium was founded in 1969, and has achieved worldwide recognition as the prototype for hands-on science museums around the world. The Exploratorium’s educational approach provides maximum exposure to the phenomena of science amidst the excitement of hundreds of blinking and beckoning exhibits. Known for presenting authentic science experiences — interspersed with art — in an unpretentious manner, it is also at the forefront of teacher education, education reform and the intersection of learning and technology. More than 18 million visit its five-time Webby-award-winning Web site. Thousands of teachers participate in a range of Exploratorium professional development and teacher-resource programs each year, including intensive month long summer workshops. The Exploratorium has had a profound impact on the museum field and on the field of informal science education, influencing the creation of more than 60 science centers nationally and internationally. They in turn reach an additional estimated 60 million people per year.

About NSF
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering, with an annual budget of nearly $5.47 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives about 40,000 competitive requests for funding, and makes about 11,000 new funding awards. The NSF also awards over $200 million in professional and service contracts yearly.

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