Last month, I sent out an announcement on an upcoming planing
workshop for the NIST ATP Focused Program in MEMS to be held
at the conclusion of IEDM.  I am now providing the details of
where and when:

Date:  Wednesday, December 10, 1997
Where: Washington Hilton and Towers (IEDM Conference Hotel)
       1919 Connecticut Avenue
       Washington DC
       (202)483-3000
Room:  Monroe Room (Same room as Detectors, Sensors and
                    Displays Sessions)
Time:  6:30 pm (After the conference is adjourned)

There is a final workshop planned (titled Microsystems and
Nanosystems Technology) on Wednesday, January 21, 1998 in
Albuquerque, NM.  Check the ATP website next week for
details.  

Regards,

Michael Gaitan
NIST

> Mail sent 7 Nov 1997:
>
> Jack Boudreaux from the NIST ATP office asked me to send
> this information to the MEMS mailing list.
>
> ---------
>
> Call for white papers to define new ATP focused program
>                    in MEMS and nano-technology
>
> Summary: The ATP is organizing a focused program in MEMS that could
> be funded on the order of $130M over 4 years.  The first step in
> creating the focused program is for the ATP to solicit white papers
> concerning directions and goals the program should take. Secondly, a
> workshop is being planned on December 10, 1997, immediately after the
> IEDM.  White papers should be submitted to ATP before November 25
> for inclusion in the workshop.  Please get involved in this process
now,
> we need your participation to make this an effective program for MEMS.

>
> The NIST Advanced Technology Program (ATP) provides competitive,
> cost-shared awards for industry to develop high-risk, enabling
> technologies with broad-based economic benefit.  While the
> government provides the catalyst--and in many cases critical
> technical support--industry conceives, manages, and executes ATP
> projects.  The ATP seeks to help industry fill the gap between
> basic research and product development, and to invest in high-
> risk technology that would not be developed in a competitive
> time-frame without government cost-sharing.  Along with general
> competitions  which are open to proposals from all technical
> areas, the ATP added in 1994 a new element to its investment
> strategy, namely, focused programs.  Each focused program has
> well-defined research and business goals. Focused programs are
> not open-ended.  A typical program runs about five years with an
> end-date defined up front, and involves $10 to $50 million per
> year in ATP funding and a comparable amount of private sector
> cost-sharing. An area in which white papers are now being
> solicited is MEMS, including micromachining and microfabrication,
> and nano-technology.
>
> ATP focused programs are selected by a competitive process.
> Because the selection of potential program areas begins with
> suggestions from industry, the ATP strongly encourages all
> interested parties to prepare and send in white papers which
> clearly outline ideas for  focused programs.  Each white paper
> should first describe the author's view of the best technical
> themes for a focused program in this area, and then explain how
> these themes are consistent with the following selection
> criteria: the potential for U.S. economic benefit, evidence of
> good technical ideas, strong industry commitment, and opportunity
> for ATP funds to make a difference. Program idea white papers are
> available for public review and must contain no proprietary
> information.  To submit white papers, or for additional
> information, please contact:
>
> J.C. Boudreaux
> NIST/Advanced Technology Program
> ADMIN A231
> Gaithersburg MD 20899
> tele (301)975-3560
> fax  (301)548-1087
> Email jack.boudreaux@nist.gov
> ATP homepage http://www.atp.nist.gov
>