About us

At Sydney Nano, we like to say that the next giant leap is seriously small. Revolutionary changes in science and technology have opened access to the nanoscale and together we are tackling some of the most challenging problems faced by humanity. With combined expertise from across the University’s disciplines and access to purpose-built facilities, our research is taking nanoscience to new levels.

As a multidisciplinary institute, we foster and enable research and education across all faculties, in a way that would not be possible through traditional university structures. 

Our mission is to discover and harness research at the nanoscale, and this is something we have developed further in 2019. Our research is impacting a variety of areas including manufacturing, energy and the environment; health and medicine; and communications, computing and security. 

Together we are tackling some of the most challenging problems facing humanity: inventing new technologies for renewable energy; designing new medicines; creating nanorobots for surgery; and taking inspiration from nature to develop completely new materials engineered at the nanoscale. 

The impact of this technology will be felt far beyond science, medicine and engineering. That is why we are reaching across our academic community into the arts and social sciences, business, law, and architecture and design.

We work horizontally across the University and in close partnership with all faculties and schools to achieve transformational and translational outcomes in six strategic fields. Each of these fields are linked to our academic framework and will support one of the Grand Challenge projects.

These are:

• Research excellence
  
• Infrastructure and enabling capabilities 
• Member engagement 
• Outreach, training and education 
• Academic partnerships 
• Industry, innovation and commercialisation 

Our academic framework is based on three themes and four domains, and these are underpinned by infrastructure and capability platforms. Our research activities are structured in four complementary research schemes. Nodes are selected in each of the schemes to receive funding, governance and administrational support.

Based at our purpose-built Sydney Nanoscience Hub, our institute was founded to bring together expertise across our University and beyond to focus on extending and deepening our knowledge of the nanoscale. And through our education programs we are inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers.

Come explore with us: we are only at the beginning of a revolution that will be as transformative this century as the digital revolution was in the last.