Research and Development

The National Institute of Standards and Technology awarded a total of $50 million in funding in October of 2010 to support the construction of scientific research facilities. The grants include:

The University of Michigan will begin construction in spring of 2011 on the $46 million Center of Excellence in Nano Mechanical Science and Engineering in Ann Arbor. Supported by $9.5 million in funding from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the three-story, 62,800-sf facility will house faculty offices and 60 laboratory modules for the study of nanoengineering, imaging and optics, materials, biosystems, micro-bioengineering, mechanics and mechanical testing, and microdynamics. Completion is expected in May of 2012.

The University of Nevada, Reno is initiating an $18 million expansion of the Center for Civil Engineering Earthquake Research. The project is supported by $12.2 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology. Adding 7,000 sf to the existing 23,000-sf facility, the completed 30,000-sf laboratory will house five large shake tables capable of replicating any recorded earthquake. Completion is expected in 2013.

Stanford University School of Medicine opened the $200 million Lorry I. Lokey Stem Cell Research Building in October of 2010 in Palo Alto, Calif. Ground was broken on the four-story, 200,000-sf project in October of 2008. Designed by Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects, the facility features an open design to foster interaction and collaboration.

The University of California, Los Angeles opened the renovated Terasaki Life Sciences Building in October of 2010. Located on the Westwood campus, the $48 million facility provides 33 open labs for collaborative research in genomics, neuroscience, biology, and regenerative medicine. The building features advanced HVAC filtration, plant growth chambers, and temperature controlled suites.

Mary Baldwin College will begin renovating two laboratory floors in the Pearce Science Center in Staunton, Va., in late 2010. Supported by $1.2 million in funding from the National Science Foundation, the project will create an imaging facility, molecular and cellular research labs, teaching labs, and animal research space. Completion is expected in August of 2012.

Surrey Satellite Technology is partnering with the University of Surrey Research Park to build a £10 million satellite R&D facility in Guildford in the United Kingdom. The 3,700-sm facility will house laboratories and cleanrooms for space engineering. Providing a single location for the assembly, testing, and integration of satellite platforms, the building will include a seismic test platform and two walk-in thermal chambers. Completion is expected in April of 2011.

ConocoPhillips will begin construction in summer of 2011 on a 1.6 million-sf global technology center in Louisville, Colo. Designed by HOK, the facility will provide 500,000 sf of research space and 500,000 sf of administrative offices. Completion is expected by 2013.

Merck opened the €50 million Materials Research Center in Darmstadt in September of 2010. The 11,000-sm R&D complex will support research on liquid crystals, fine chemicals, organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), and mobile energy storage. The sustainably designed facility includes two six-story buildings, a pilot plant, and cleanrooms.

The Department of Energy initiated the second phase of construction of the Superconducting Radio-Frequency (SRF) Accelerator Test Facility in September of 2010. Located at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Ill., the three-building project will include a 460-ft long test accelerator and cryomodules with cavities at a temperatures as low as -456 degrees Fahrenheit. The first phase of construction commenced in March of 2010 and involved the $2.8 million expansion of an existing building.

Analytical Bio-Chemistry Laboratories opened its renovated and expanded research facilities in Columbia, Mo., in September of 2010. The $4.5 million project created modernized labs for the company’s chemical services division. The general contractor for the project was ARCO Construction of St. Louis. ABC Labs provides testing and evaluation services for chemical, pharmaceutical, and animal health products.

National Cheng Kung University initiated a renovation of three engineering buildings in September of 2010 in Tainan City, Taiwan. The NT$1 billion project will provide advanced teaching and research facilities for the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, the Department of Resources Engineering, and the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering. Completion is expected in September of 2012.

Florida A&M University broke ground in September of 2010 on Phase II of the New Pharmacy Building in Tallahassee. The 65,000-sf facility will provide 45,000 nsf of teaching and research space. Housing more than 30 laboratories, the $30 million project is part of a pharmacy complex that will include new animal research facilities and advanced instrumentation suites.

Dow AgroSciences dedicated its research and greenhouse facility in September of 2010 in West Lafayette, Ind. Located in the Purdue Research Park, the facility includes 15,000 sf of research and office space and an 11,000-sf greenhouse complex. The project will support collaboration with Purdue Agriculture and Science faculty and provide students with training opportunities in plant breeding and agricultural life science research.

Yahoo opened the 155,000-sf Computing Coop data center in Lockport, N.Y., in September of 2010. Using 40 percent less energy than a conventional data center, the facility features long narrow hallways angled in the direction of local winds for natural cooling. The airflow eliminates the need to use circulated water for equipment cooling, resulting in a 95 percent reduction in water consumption. The project was supported by $9.9 million in funding from the Department of Energy.