Education / Career
Nanotechnology plays nowadays an important role in a number of scientific disciplines: physics, chemistry, biology, materials, mathematics and engineering. Each discipline independently evolved in the direction of addressing nanoscale phenomena and nanostructures. This offers tremendous opportunities to connect the different disciplines and to promote interdisciplinary research. At the same time, the dynamics of interdisciplinary nanostructure efforts will reinforce educational connections between the disciplines and might lead to new fields that are only envisioned at this moment.
Through the rapid development of nanotechnology changes in the laboratory and human resource infrastructure in universities are required as well as in the education of nanotechnology professionals (scientists and current workforce). Courses on surface science, molecular dynamics, quantum effects, and manufacturing at molecular scale are necessary in curricula at various levels. Nanotechnology centres (as virtual centres of thematic networks) could provide an environment with facilities and interdisciplinary research teams that will enable educating a new generation of young scientists.
Beyond the education and training of a new generation of scientists and skilled workers in the multidisciplinary perspective necessary for rapid progress in nanotechnology, it is also crucial to educate, train and inform the current workforce. One important aspect in this context is the provision of suitable information sources (for instance via CD, Internet, etc.). These sources should contain information on public funded projects in nanotechnology, relevant addresses, potential interests of industry, funding agencies, and research subjects. In addition, extending and updating of the information has to be maintained. The provision of such information sources could speed up the innovation pace, could avoid duplication of work, and could foster homogeneous approaches to solve coming innovation problems.
General information - not specific for Nanotechnology - about career options for scientists are available on the ESF-supported web page http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/
