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The CNS brings together researchers and students in the social sciences, humanities, engineering, and science to create new, critically-needed collaborative education programs. It sponsors new undergraduate curriculum, research internships, and community events. These events and activities take place in collaboration with the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) whose new facility opened on the UCSB campus in 2006.
Student Training Opportunities:
The CNS offers opportunities for students – both graduate and undergraduate– to take lead roles in the Center’s research and education initiatives. Student fellows work with CNS researchers and other faculty at UCSB and their research seminars are an important part of fostering interdisciplinary collaboration at the Center. The CNS recruits its student fellows from the humanities, social science, and the physical sciences.
CNS Graduate Fellow Rachel Parker presents a poster on her research at a recent reception
Graduate Student Fellowships:
The Center for Nanotechnology in Society at the University of California, Santa Barbara (CNS-UCSB) announces several fellowship opportunities for outstanding graduate students pursuing research in the social sciences and humanities and science and engineering. The CNS-UCSB seeks to produce and encourage excellent and innovative scholarship that addresses the intersection of nanotechnologies with society. CNS-UCSB researchers are engaged in several areas of inquiry including: the historical context of nanotechnologies; innovation, intellectual property and globalization; and risk perception and social response to emerging nanotechnologies.
Social Sciences and Humanities Fellowship
Science and Engineering Fellowship
Prof. Bruce Bimber and Graduate Fellow David Weaver discuss their research on nanotechnology and the media
Undergraduate Summer Internships:
The Center for Nanotechnology in Society (CNS) at the University of California Santa Barbara is seeking undergraduate science, engineering, social science, and humanities majors who are interested in pursuing a research experience. This internship program will bring undergraduate students from around California to the UC Santa Barbara campus for an 8-week summer research experience. Interns will gain first-hand experience in the investigation of the societal issues relating to nanotechnology in a dynamic, collaborative research environment. They will be matched individually with nanotechnology, social science, and humanities faculty and graduate student mentors who will provide training and support. In addition to research, the interns will also participate in weekly group meetings to develop oral presentation skills, attend special seminars and present their results at an end-of-summer poster session.
Undergraduate Curriculum:
Through an award from NSF, entitled INSCITES (Insights on SCIence and Technology in Society), graduate teaching scholars are designing and teaching courses at UCSB that explore the impact of nanotechnology in society. These scholars are selected from social sciences, humanities and the science and technology disciplines. The INSCITES course modules will be included in a new undergraduate general education course that will start at UCSB in Spring 2007. Community colleges have expressed strong interest in adapting this course model for their undergraduate students, and we will be working closely with them to implement the transfer.
Nano-Meeter:
The CNS hosts free, quarterly NanoMeeter (formerly NanoCafe) events, created to engage the general public on growing nanotechnologies issues. Each Nano-Meeter explores a different topic within nanotechnology, such as nanomedicine or global competition. Professors from UC Santa Barbara present an overview of each topic, and participants are invited to listen and participate in an informal question-and-answer session. Co-sponsored by the California NanoSystems Institute at UC Santa Barbara, no science background is required to attend and participate in the Nano-Meeter.
Weekly News Clips:
The CNS also maintains a popular Weekly News Clips service which distributes nano and society-related news clips electronically to over 250 representatives from universities, industry, media, government, and the general public. To subscribe, please send a request to Valerie Walston.
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