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This success would not have been possible without the expertise and dedication of the Innovative Partnerships Program Office. And I’m very excited to see that this agreement is now making CNTs more readily available, particularly for academic and other research programs. The fact that they now have access to lower cost CNTs bodes well for the future of nano-technology. Jeannette Benavides, Goddard inventor of the CNT manufacturing process

The IPP Office negotiated a memorandum of understanding with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to further advances in nano-technology. By collaborating on nanotechnology research, Goddard and NIST can further advance both organizations’ missions. In addition, Goddard now has access to NIST’s Advanced Measurement Laboratory and its state-of-the-art tools for making, testing, and characterizing prototype nanoscale devices and materials, thereby eliminating the need to duplicate facilities. Through this collaborative research, advances in chemical sensors, biosensors, electronic devices and circuits, and architectures for electronics, health care, and other fields are possible.

Carbon Nanotube (CNT) Manufacturing: Goddard’s simpler, safer, and much less expensive manufacturing process for single-walled CNTs was licensed to Idaho Space Materials, which was founded in December 2005 as a manufacturer of advanced materials based on existing patents. The company has scaled-up and commercialized Goddard’s process and is now selling CNTs as its NOME-C 1556 product, which is available at a reduced price to educational/research organizations.

The IPP Office was extremely helpful in identifying companies interested in licensing the ADR and then negotiating patent rights and other issues that allowed the licensing to go forward. Peter Shirron, Goddard inventor of the continuous ADR technology

Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator: Goddard’s continuous Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator (CADR)—a revolutionary cryogenic cooling technology—will soon be available for commercial applications and research thanks to a license to Lake Shore Cryotronics. Out-licensing this revolutionary technology to Lake Shore, which is uniquely positioned to manufacture and market the hardware, offers tremendous value NASA. In particular, the company’s development of control electronics for the CADR will put NASA one step closer to developing a fully space-qualified cryogenic cooling system. (Note: Additional research will continue under the Partnership Seed Fund.)