College, Graduate School, and Postdoctoral Opportunities

As progress for nanotechnology research and development picks up speed, more and more universities in the U. S. are beginning to offer degree programs in nanotechnology. These programs now range from minor and majors in nanotechnology to Masters' programs to PhD's in any number of nanotechnology-related fields.

For those students seeking a higher education at a college or university that doesn’t offer a degree in nanoscience, a student could choose to go into chemistry, physics, engineering, biology, IT, or another technology fields. With the help of a college advisor or a trusted professor or mentor, students can navigate college-level science courses to learn a great deal about nanotechnology. And keep in mind that the further you get in your education, the greater the options and choices that become available to you.

Scholarships, Fellowships, Internships, and Postdoctoral Positions

NASA Space Technology Research Fellowships (NSTRF) — The goal of NSTRF is to sponsor U.S. citizen and permanent resident graduate students who show significant potential to contribute to NASA’s goal of creating innovative new space technologies for our Nation’s science, exploration and economic future.   NASA Space Technology Fellows will perform innovative, space-technology research at their respective campuses and at NASA Centers and/or at nonprofit U.S. Research and Development (R&D) laboratories.  Awards are made in the form of training grants to accredited U.S. universities on behalf of individuals pursuing master’s or doctoral degrees, with the faculty advisor serving as the principal investigator.

NASA Postdoctoral Program — NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) supports NASA’s goal to expand scientific understanding of the Earth and the universe in which we live. Selected by a competitive peer-review process, NPP Fellows complete one- to three-year Fellowship appointments that advance NASA’s missions in earth science, heliophysics, planetary science, astrophysics, space bioscience, aeronautics and engineering, human exploration and space operations, and astrobiology.

Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) — NSF funds a large number of research opportunities for undergraduate students through its REU Sites program. Each student is associated with a specific research project, where he/she works closely with the faculty and other researchers. Undergraduate students supported with NSF funds must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or its possessions.

NIST Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program — All six of the NIST laboratories in Gaithersburg, MD, participate in SURF programs. For example, the Materials Measurement Laboratory (MML) and the NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) SURF program is designed to provide hands-on research experience in Ceramics, Metallurgy, Polymers, Condensed Matter Science, and Materials Reliability; available research opportunities in the MML/NCNR SURF program include structural and magnetic properties of nanomaterials. NIST also offers SURF research opportunities in Boulder, CO.

Science, Mathematics, & Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship for Service Program — The SMART Scholarship for Service Program has been established by the DOD to support undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. The program is an opportunity for students to receive a full scholarship and be gainfully employed upon degree completion. The program aims to increase the number of civilian scientists and engineers working at DOD laboratories.  

NSF's NanoJapan International Research Experience for Undergraduates— Recognized as a model for international education programs for science and engineering students, NanoJapan provides U.S. undergraduates with structured research opportunities in Japanese university laboratories with Japanese mentors. The strong educational portfolio of this project focuses on cultivating interest in nanotechnology among young U.S. undergraduate students, especially those from underrepresented groups, and encouraging such students to pursue graduate study and academic research in the physical sciences. 

Intelligence Community Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program — Established in 2000 to fund basic research in areas of interest to the Intelligence Community, today, the program annually funds first- and second-year postdoctoral fellows researching topics as varied as molecular biology and robotics.

National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering - Training & Careers — NIH/NIBIB training opportunities are geared for undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral candidates. See also the NIBIB Funding page and the NIH Training and Education page.

NIH's Cancer Nanotechnology Training Centers (CNTCs)— CNTCs are designed to establish innovative research education programs supporting the development of a multi-disciplinary nanotechnology workforce capable of pursuing cancer research. CNTCs target graduate student and post-doctoral researchers with backgrounds in medicine, biology, and other health sciences as well as in the physical sciences, chemistry, and engineering. The program of multi-disciplinary research education in cancer nanotechnology is primarily focused on mentored laboratory-based training through participation in dedicated training research projects.

Degree Programs

Below is a list of degree programs, including Bachelors degrees with majors, minors and concentrations; Masters degrees; and PhD programs.

 

Bachelor Degree Programs

Boston University - Concentration in nanotechnology

Clarion University – Minor in nanotechnology

Drexel University – B.S. Materials Science and Engineering with Specialization in Nanotechnology

Excelsior College - B.S. in Electrical Engineering Tech with Nanotechnology concentration

Florida Polytechnic University - B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with nanotechnology concentration

Georgia Tech - B.S. in Electrical Engineering with Nanosystems Specialization

Hampton University - Minor in Nanoscience

Johns Hopkins University - B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering, concentration in nanotechnology

Lock Haven University - B.S. in Applied Physics (Nanotechnology Track)

Louisiana Tech University – B.S. in Nanosystems Engineering

Michigan Technological University – B.S. in Physics with minor in nanotechnology

New Jersey Institute of Technology - Minor in nanotechnology

Northwestern University –  B.S. in Physics with Nanoscale Physics Concentration

Oregon State University - B.S. in Chemical Engineering with nanotechnology processes option

Pennsylvania State University - Minor in nanotechnology; Nanofabrication Manufacturing Technology capstone semester  

Rice University – B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering with Concentration in Photonics and Nanodevices, or B.S. in Materials Science and Nanoengineering

Rutgers University - B.S. program in Materials Science and Engineering with a focus on nanomaterials

Stanford University - B.S. Materials Science and Engineering with nanotechnology concentration

Tuskegee University - Bachelor of Science in Engineering with a Concentration in Semiconductors

University at Albany/State University of New York, College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering – B.S. in Nanoscale ScienceB.S. in Nanoscale Engineering

University of Arkansas - Minor in nanotechnology

University of California, Riverside – B.S. in Materials Science with a concentration in nanomaterials and sensors; B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering with a concentration in nanotechnologyB.S. in Chemical and Environmental Engineering with a nanotechnology concentration

University of California, San Diego – B.S. Nanoengineering

University of Central Florida – B.S. in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology track in Liberal Studies

University of Cincinnatti - Minor in Nanoengineering; Minor in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

University of Connecticut - Minor in Nanotechnology

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - B.S. with Nanotechnology Concentration

University of Maryland, Materials Science and Engineering – Interdisciplinary minor in nanotechnology

University of Notre Dame - B.S. w/ Concentration in Seminconductors and Nanotechnology

University of Southern California - Minor in Nanotechnology

University of Utah - B.S. w/ Emphasis in Micro/Nanoscale Engineering

University of Virginia - Engineering Science Undergraduate Program with either nanomedicine concentration or nanotechnology concentration

University of Washington – B.S. w/ Nanoscience and Molecular Engineering Option

University of Wisconsin-Stout – B.S. in Applied Science, Materials and Nanoscience Concentration

Virginia Tech University - B.S. in Nanoscience

Washington State University, Nanotechnology Think Tank - B.S. w/ Specialization in Nanotechnology

 

Master's Degree Programs

Arizona State University – Professional Science Master (PSM) in Nanoscience and M.A. in Applied Ethics (Ethics and Emerging Technologies)

Boston University - M.S. in Biomedical Engineering with a Focus in Nanomedicine

City University of New York (CUNY): M.S. Program in Nanoscience

Cornell University - M.S. Applied Physics with Nanotechnology Specialization

Johns Hopkins University – M.S. with Concentration in Nanotechnology; Nano-Bio Graduate Training Program

Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (collaborative project of North Carolina A&T State Univ. and Univ. of North Carolina Greensboro)  – M.S. in Nanoscience and M.S. in Nanoengineering

Louisiana Tech University – M.S. in Molecular Sciences and Nanotechnology

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University - M.S. in Nanoengineering 

North Carolina State University - M.S. in Nanoengineering

North Dakota State University – M.S. in Materials and Nanotechnology

Northwestern University - M.S. with Specialization in Nanotechnology

Princeton University — see Rutgers listing for joint program

Radiological Technologies University VT (Indiana) – M.S. in Nanomedicine

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and Princeton University- Integrative Graduate Education Research Traineeship (IGERT) in Nanotechnology for Clean Energy 

Singapore-MIT Alliance – M.Eng. Advanced Materials for Micro- and Nano-Systems

Stevens Institute of Technology – M.Eng. with Nanotechnology Concentration and M.S. with Nanotechnology Concentration

University at Albany/State University of New York, College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering – M.S. in Nanoscale ScienceM.S. in Nanoscale EngineeringM.S. in Nanobioscience

University of California, Riverside – Online M.S. Nanotechnology Engineering

University of California, San Diego – M.S. Nanoengineering

University of Central Florida - M.S. and P.S.M in Nanotechnology

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - Cancer Nanotechnology Concentration

University of New Mexico – M.S. in Nanoscience and Microsystems

University of North Carolina at Greensboro - M.S. in Nanoscience

University of Pennsylvania – M.S. in Nanotechnology

University of Pennsylvania  M. S. in Chemical Sciences (with courses in materials science and nanoscience included in the curriculum)

University of South Florida - M.S. in Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology

University of Texas at Austin – M.S. with Nanomaterials Thrust Area

 

Ph.D. Degree Programs

City University of New York - Nanotechnology and Materials Chemistry 

Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering - Nanoscience or Nanoengineering

Louisiana Tech University - Nanosystems EngineeringMolecular Science and Nanoengineering

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University - Ph.D. in Nanoengineering

North Dakota State University - Materials and Nanotechnology

Northeastern University, NSF’s Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) - Ph.D. in Nanomedicine

Northwestern University - Specialization in Nanotechnology

Rice University - Materials Science and NanoEngineering

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology – Nanoscience and Engineering program

Stevens Institute of Technology - Nanotechnology Graduate Program

University at Albany/State University of New York, College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering – Ph.D. in Nanoscale SciencePh.D. in Nanoscale EngineeringPh.D. in NanobioscienceM.D./Ph.D. in Medicine and Nanoscale Science or Engineering

University of California, Berkeley - Nanoscale Science and Engineering

University of California, Los Angeles - Ph.D. Chemistry w/ Materials and Nanoscience Specialization

University of California, San Diego - Nanoengineering

University of New Mexico - Nanoscience and Microsystems

University of North Carolina at Charlotte - Ph.D. Program in Nanoscale Science

University of North Carolina at Greensboro - Ph.D. in Nanoscience 

University of Texas at Austin - Ph.D. w/ Nanomaterials Thrust

University of Utah – Nanotechnology

University of Washington – Dual Titled Ph.D. in (core discipline) and Nanotechnology & Molecular Engineering & Ph.D. in Molecular Engineering

Virginia Commonwealth University Ph.D. in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

Washington State University - Graduate Certificate in Engineering Nanotechnology

 

Got a new program? Contact us at info@nnco.nano.gov to have it listed on this site.

For more opportunities, visit our Funding Opportunities page.