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CENTERS AND INSTITUTES
Wiess School of Natural Sciences
Gulf Coast Consortia
The Gulf Coast Consortia (GCC) were formed in 2001 by an unprecedented agreement between six member institutions seeking to: 1) unite member institution strengths in training new scientists in the biological sciences and computational and physical sciences; 2) establish a cutting edge research infrastructure designed to collect novel data across these boundaries; 3) apply resulting knowledge in the treatment and prevention of disease; and 4) address significant biological questions.
Member Institutions:
Affiliated Centers:
Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering
The Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering (IBB) includes three laboratories: 1) John W. Cox Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering, 2) James and Ella Greenwood Laboratory for Basic Medicine, and 3) J.E. and L.E. Mabee Laboratory for Biochemical and Genetic Engineering.
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Research Areas:
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· Cellular and tissue engineering
· Signal transduction
· Fermentation
· Metabolism and bioprocessing
· Sequence structure and function
· Plant biochemistry and genetics
Rice Quantum Institute
The Rice Quantum Institute (RQI) is an internationally recognized center for research in molecular physics and has world-class research programs in atomic, molecular, and optical physics; studies of clusters; the physics and chemistry of surfaces; and laser development and applications. Groups within the RQI are now undertaking a new initiative in nanotechnology directed toward development and understanding of molecular-scale structures that have some degree of functionality. This group of about 35 faculty members engages in more than 100 ongoing research projects, presenting outstanding opportunities for graduate research in an intellectually stimulating environment.
Research Areas:
· Clusters and Nanostructures
· Surface and Materials Science
· Physics of Ultracold Atoms
· Laser Development and Applications
- New Lasers
- New Laser Applications
- Laser and Optical Methods in Chemical Physics
· Electronic Materials and Devices
Rice Space Institute
The mission of the Rice Space Institute is to"Make the Universe Smaller" by interdisciplinary research and education at all levels, charting the course for the next generation of peaceful uses of space.
Richard E. Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology
The Richard E. Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology at Rice University is devoted to nurturing nanoscale science and technology, which centers on the science and engineering of functional structures having dimensions between one and 100 nanometers. The goal of the Smalley Institute is to maintain its leadership role in nanoscale science and engineering, which is the creation, investigation, and application of functional structures with nanometer dimensions.This focus involved the hiring of a dozen new faculty members and the opening of a new 83,000-square-foot laboratory facility which houses a portion of the Smalley Institute faculty, Dell Butcher Hall.
Affiliated Centers:
Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology
Shared Equipment Authority
Research Areas:
- "Wet" biological and systems-related nanotechnology
- "Dry" chemical materials-related nanotechnology
- Computational nanotechnology modeling and simulation of complex nanometer-scale structures
- Creating an outstanding environment for undergraduate and graduate education
- Enhancing research infrastructure
- Creating novel opportunities by interdisciplinary cooperation and support
- Communicating scientific and technical knowledge to K-12 students and the public
The Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology (CBEN) is a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center (NSEC) at Rice University. Aiming to transform nanoscience into a field with the impact of a modern-day polymer science, CBEN focuses on research at the interface between "dry" nanomaterials and aqueous media such as biology and the environment, developing the nanoscience workforce of the future, and transferring discoveries to industry.
Other Nanotechnology Affiliations
The following organizations, made up of Texas-based universities, industry leaders, investors, and government officials, foster communication, collaboration, and resource sharing in order to augment nanotechnology growth and practical applicability. These organizations include:
Brown School of Engineering
Computer and Information Technology Institute
The Computer and Information Technology Institute (CITI) at Rice University is a research institution composed of faculty, research scientists, staff, and graduate students dedicated to the advancement of applied interdisciplinary research in the areas of computer and information technology. CITI's goal is to support, foster, and develop research and education across a wide area of computing technologies, computational engineering, and information processing and theory. There are approximately 90 Ph.D. faculty and research scientists and more than 120 graduate students affiliated with CITI.
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Affiliated Centers:
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Research Areas:
· Distributed computing
· Robotics
· Digital signal processing
· Telecommunications
· Optimization
· Data modeling and analysis
· Technologies in education
Center for High Performance Software Research
The mission of the Center for High Performance Software Research (HiPerSoft) is to develop the knowledge base and technology infrastructure needed to make high performance computing truly usable. HiPerSoft will continue to build on the strong heritage of research produced by the Center for Research on Parallel Computation (CRPC). As an NSF Science and Technology Center, the ten year charter of which recently ended, the CRPC focused on developing the parallel algorithms needed to parallelize important applications from science and engineering and on the software technology needed to support easy-to-use parallel programming interfaces. HiPerSoft will build on the success of CRPC, driving research on a variety of important topics including:
Research Areas:
· Software for future generation scalable, parallel computers (PetaSoft)
· Software for distributed heterogeneous computers (GridSoft)
· Compiler management of memory hierarchy (OptiMem)
· Software for compilation of Java on high performance computers (JavaComp)
· High performance software libraries (HiPerLib)
· Tools to support the construction of correct, efficient programs (SofTool)
· Problem solving environments (ProSolvEnt)
Environmental and Energy Systems Institute
The Environmental and Energy Systems Institute (EESI), established in 1991, strives to optimize extraction of energy resources, clean up environmental contamination, minimize human impact on global climate change, and develop suitable policies in these areas. EESI encourages interdisciplinary research by focusing the talents of faculty from academic departments within the schools of engineering, natural sciences, and social sciences upon issues of concern in the interrelated areas of energy and the environment.
Research Areas:
· Processes in Porous Media
· Mechanics of Solids And Structures
· Engineering and Process Chemistry
· Earth Systems
· Energy and Environmental Policy
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