As part of the Commerce Department's Technology Administration, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) works to promote U.S. economic growth by working with industry to develop and apply technology, measurements, and standards. NIST carries out its mission through a portfolio of four major programs:

• Measurement and Standards Laboratories that provide technical leadership for vital components of the nation's technology infrastructure needed by U.S. industry to continually improve its products and services;
• rigorously competitive Advanced Technology Program providing cost-shared awards to industry for development of high-risk, enabling technologies with broad economic potential;
• grassroots Manufacturing Extension Partnership with a nationwide network of local centers offering technical and business assistance to smaller manufacturers; and
• highly visible quality outreach program associated with the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award that recognizes continuous improvements in quality management by U.S. manufacturers and service companies.

In fiscal year 1998, NIST is operating on a budget of about $790 million with nearly 3,300 staff members at its sites in Gaithersburg, Md., and Boulder, Colo. News and general information about NIST programs and services are available on the World Wide Web at http://www.nist.gov, or call General Inquiries at (301) 975-6478 or e-mail: inquiries@nist.gov.

About the Advanced Technology Program

The ATP is a unique partnership between government and private industry designed to accelerate the development of high-risk technologies that promise significant commercial payoffs and widespread benefits for the economy. Managed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the ATP encourages change in how industry approaches R&D, providing a mechanism for industry to extend its technological reach and push out the envelope of what can be attempted.

The globalization of markets and the pace of technology change continue to drive private R&D to narrower, shorter term investments to maximize returns to the company. Most private capital sources are reluctant to invest in anything less than a "sure thing." In sharing the relatively high development risks of technologies that potentially enable a broad range of new commercial opportunities, possibly across several industries, the ATP fosters projects with a high payoff for the nation as a whole-in addition to strong corporate rates of return. The ATP is designed to stimulate joint research ventures that link small, medium, and large suppliers and other organizations with end users to solve a generic problem common to all.

Workshop Descriptions

ATP is planning two workshops on a possible new Chemical Sensor and Biosensor Focused Program. The first workshop, in Los Angeles, will focus on scoping out the significant technical hurdles that must be overcome if integrated chemical sensor and biosensor systems are to find larger markets. In addition, it will focus on microfabrication and nanofabrication technologies as possible routes to sensor integration. A major effort will be made to determine whether the program scope should include both chemical sensor and biosensor systems. The second workshop, at NIST in Gaithersburg, MD, will build on the results of the first workshop by further defining the project scope utilizing the information derived from the previous meeting. Like the earlier meeting, questions regarding the need for sensor integration, microfabrication, nanofabrication, and the validity of combining chemical sensor and biosensor technologies will be discussed. In order to build upon the input of the first meeting, we will begin the second workshop with a suggested program scope and objectives derived with industry input from the first workshop. This will permit further clarification and refinement of the planned focused program. A draft program description will be posted on the ATP Internet site (http://www.atp.nist.gov) so that interested parties who cannot attend one or both workshops can comment on this potential program as it evolves.

ATP programs are selected based on four major criteria.

1. Potential for U.S. economic benefit. ATP is trying to foster significant economic benefits for the country. How will this proposed focused program help to achieve this?
2. Good technical ideas. We are looking for revolutionary programs with the potential to bring fundamental change to this industry. This technology should be "cutting edge" and have a high degree of technical risk.
3. Strong industry commitment. Is a reasonable segment of this industry ready and willing to work with ATP and with each other to achieve the program goals? Is there a broad and in-depth interest in fostering this focused program?
4. Opportunity for ATP funding to make a significant difference. Why ATP? Is this program unique? Does it fill a gap left by industry and by other government funding programs in the chemical and biosensor industries? Can we realistically meet the program goals with the financial constraints of $8-10 million from ATP for the first focused program and similar amounts for two possible additional programs? The workshops are not intended to promote specific technical approaches that might be submitted for funding to a focused or general competition. They are, however, intended to provide a forum for discussion of technical and business issues of importance to the chemical sensor and biosensor manufacturing and user industries within the marketplace, thereby leading to a scope recommendation for a potential ATP focused program.

It is the intention of the workshop organizers to ask individuals from industry, government, and academia to make short presentations suggesting major technical issues that would require ATP support. Through these presentations and focused discussion, we expect to develop the scope and specific objectives of a potential ATP focused program that would have a first year ATP budget contribution of $8-10 million, which typically represents the start of a three to five year federal plus industry investment of between $50 million to $70 million total.

The overall goal of these workshops is to identify significant technical hurdles that, if overcome, will remove barriers and create larger opportunities for businesses and consumers by accelerating the development of integrated, low cost biosensor and chemical sensor systems. These workshops will bring together biotechnologists, chemists, electrochemists, optical experts, and marketing and business experts who are interested in participating in defining the scope of this possible ATP Chemical Sensor and Biosensor focused program.

At the conclusion of these workshops, participants will have collectively developed a recommended technical scope for a potential chemical sensor and/or biosensor focused program and a list of possible high-risk technological ideas that the program may address, or they may have concluded that such a program cannot be justified. Potential technology ideas that could help move integrated chemical sensor and biosensor systems into a wider marketplace may include suggestions related to, but not limited to: sample acquisition and processing, new sensor technologies, new methods for microfabricating or nanofabricating integrated sensor systems, rapid and inexpensive manufacturing, and quality assurance techniques. It is expected that each of these suggestions will be examined and modified by the workshop participants to produce an industry led focused program recommendation.

Location

The workshop on July 8-9 will be held at the Los Angeles Airport Hilton, 5711 West Century Boulevard, Los Angeles, California.

Registration

The registration fee of $215 per person includes workshop materials, coffee breaks, lunch, and dinner on July 8. The enclosed registration form must be received by Wednesday, June 24, 1998, for your name to appear on the preliminary participant's list. All requests for cancellation and refund must be submitted to Lori Phillips, in writing, prior to June 24. Registration can be done electronically at:

Accommodations

Workshop registration does not include your hotel reservation. A block of rooms has been reserved at the Los Angeles Airport Hilton, (310) 410-4000, at a rate of $109, single, plus 14% tax. To register for a room, please send the enclosed hotel reservation form directly to the hotel, no later than Sunday, June 14, 1998. After that date, the rooms will be released for general sale at the prevailing rates of the hotel. When phoning in your reservation, please refer to the "NIST/ATP Chemical Sensors Workshop."

Coffee Breaks and Lunches

Refreshments will be provided during coffee breaks. Lunch will also be provided the first day.

Transportation

The Hilton offers complimentary shuttle service from Los Angeles International airport 24 hours a day. The shuttle departs from outside the baggage claim area every 15 minutes.

Location

The workshop on July 13-14 will be held at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Administration Building (101), Green Auditorium in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Gaithersburg is located approximately 25 miles northwest of Washington, D.C.

Registration

The registration fee of $135 per person includes workshop materials, coffee breaks, lunch, and dinner on July 13. The enclosed registration form must be received by Monday, June 29, 1998, for your name to appear on the preliminary participant's list. All requests for cancellation and refund must be submitted to Lori Phillips, in writing, prior to June 29. Registration can be done electronically at:

Accommodations

Workshop registration does not include your hotel reservation. A block of rooms has been reserved at the Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center, (301) 590-0044, at a rate of $126, including tax. To register for a room, please send the enclosed hotel reservation form directly to the hotel, no later than Monday, June 22, 1998. After that date, the rooms will be released for general sale at the prevailing rates of the hotel. If you call in your reservation, please refer to the "NIST/ATP Chemical Sensors Workshop."

Coffee Breaks and Lunches

Refreshments will be provided during coffee breaks. Lunch will also be provided the first day.

Driving Instructions

To reach NIST:

Traveling north on I-270: take Exit 10, Rt. 117 West, Clopper Road. At the first light on Clopper Road, turn left onto the NIST grounds.

Traveling south on I-270: take Exit 11B, Rt. 124 West, Quince Orchard Road. At the second light turn left onto Clopper Road. At the next light, turn right onto the NIST grounds.

To reach the Administration Building, turn left after passing the guard office. Signs will direct you to visitor parking.

To reach the Gaithersburg Marriott:

From Washington, D.C.: take I-495 to I-270 North, to Exit 9B, Sam Eig Highway West. Take the first left onto Fields Road, then take the first left onto Rio Boulevard, which becomes Washingtonian Boulevard. Turn left into the Marriott after you pass the Rio Complex.

Registration

Lori Phillips
NIST
Telephone: (301) 975-4513
Fax: (301) 948-2067
Email: lori.phillips@nist.gov

Technical Contacts

Carlos Grinspon
NIST/Advanced Technology Program
Telephone: (301) 975-4448
Fax: (301) 926-9524
Email: carlos.grinspon@nist.gov

For additional general information, or to add your name to the ATP mailing list, please contact the ATP:

Hotline: 800-ATP-FUND, or 800-287-3863
Worldwide Web: http://www.atp.nist.gov
Email: atp@nist.gov