The home of the National Research Council’s (NRC) new National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT) in Edmonton will have the quietest research space in Canada.

In the scientific realm, “quiet space” refers to lab space with ultra-low vibration and minimal acoustic noise or electro-magnetic interference.

The quiet is needed to provide optimal conditions for nano-scale research. The NINT will occupy the first four floors of a six-storey, 20,000-square-metre building to be built on the University of Alberta campus.

The top two floors will house U of A nanotechnology-related research space. The institute will accommodate 120 NRC staff, up to 45 guest workers from industry and universities, and training opportunities for some 275 graduate and post-doctoral researchers.

Construction of the new building will begin in August and last for two years.

The $40-million cost of the building is one-third of the $120 million that will be spent on the institute during its first five years.

The balance will be spent on equipment, staffing and operations.

The National Research Council (NRC) will contribute $60 million, and another $60 million will be a joint contribution from the government of Alberta and the University of Alberta.

The Government of Canada has committed an additional $12 million a year for operating costs, beginning in year six.

NINT, a partnership among Ottawa, the Government of Alberta and the University of Alberta, will enable NRC and the university to expand collaborations in nanotechnology research.

This will include synthesis of new materials and the integration of nanotechnology with microtechnologies to make practical systems.

Nanotechnology is the application of science to developing new materials and processes by manipulating molecular and atomic particles.

A nanometre is a billionth of a metre, that is, about 1/80,000th the diameter of a human hair, or 10 times the diameter of a hydrogen atom.

The NRC operates world-class research facilities as well as information, technology and innovation support networks from coast to coast.