Affiliates are the heart of ASL's operations. ASL is a consortium of Affiliates. In addition to the founding
partners, NASA Ames and UCSC’s Silicon Valley Initiatives, ASL welcomes other academic and non-profit research institutions and private
industry. ASL assists by navigating NASA and UCSC policies to deliver cooperative, and sometimes unexpected, solutions. ASL supports the
consortium’s science, engineering, and education aspects through: seminars and workshops, inter-project interactions, library services, lab
management guidelines, central facilities, logistical operations, etc. There are currently eight Affiliates, but ASL is a dynamic organization,
always interested in contacts from potential Affiliates. ASL is growing, too, acquiring additional space for new occupancy. If you are
interested in becoming an Affiliate, learn more here.
Four types of Affiliates contribute to the shared environment, leveraging their goals, expertise,
student involvement, contributed equipment, and access to facilities
- UCSC-associated Affiliates
- NASA Affiliates
- Third-party Affiliates: academic, non-profit or commercial
- Non-resident Affiliates
Current ASL Affiliates
- 4Wind Science and Technology (4Wind SE)
- Advanced Aerospace Materials and Devices (AAMD)
- Advanced Prototypes Lab for Satellite Payloads (APL)
- Advanced Space Science and Technology (ASST)
- Baltic Sea Solutions (BaSS)
- Bio | Info | Nano Research and Development Institute (BIN-RDI)
- Center for Nanostructures (CNS)
- Fiber Optics in Sensory and Sustainability Applications (FOSSA)
- Nanostructured Energy Conversion Technology and Research (NECTAR)
- Solar Energy & Renewable Fuels (SERF)
- Science, Technology and Exploration Program (STEP)
- Sustainable Water Technologies Collaboration (SWTC)
- Thermal Characterization Laboratory (TCL)
Affiliate Profiles
Organization: 4 Wind Science and Engineering
Project Leader: Cattien Nguyen
Project Description: The 4Wind Science and Engineering project will build a chemical vapor
deposition chamber for the purpose of testing and characterizing tools and processes for the large-scale
deposition of thin films containing nanostructures. The controlled fabrication of these thin films is a
crucial step in the process of moving forward with many advanced technologies, as already clearly demonstrated
in the semiconductor and magnetic storage industries. The creation, testing and characterization of such
thin-film deposition tools are also essential to the further development of advanced energy and information
technologies, among others. It is anticipated that the resulting chemical vapor deposition tools will
enhance existing research projects in the Advanced Studies Laboratory, find commercial application, and
serve as an enabling device to further the missions of Ames Research Center and NASA.
Learn More: Check out the 4 Wind SE web site at:
http://4windse.com
Learn More about 4 Wind SE
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Organization: NASA Ames Research Center
Project Leader: Harry Partridge
Project Description: The center for Advanced Aerospace Materials and Devices (AAMD) conducts applied research in support of
NASA missions, those of other federal agencies and industry. In addition to NASA, AAMD scientists have supported, or are supporting,
the Department of Homeland Security, the United States Army and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Current AAMD research
is focused on carbon-nanotube growth, carbon-nanotube field emission, lunar-dust characterization, chemical-sensor development, nanowire
growth, thin-film solar cells, thermal-interface materials, batteries, magnetometers, and mid-infrared quantum detectors.
Learn More about AAMD
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Organization: NASA Ames Research Center
Project Leader: Linda Timucin
Project Description: The Advanced Prototypes Lab for Satellite Payloads (APL) is a research and development facility that designs, tests
and characterizes novel biological-assay instrumentation. R&D performed in the APL spans the fields of microbiology (bioengineering
organisms and characterizing existing organisms with requisite biomarkers expressing bioluminescence or fluorescence), microfluidics
and biophotonics. The APL strives to design biological assays that are feasible for integration into payloads well in advance of launch
schedule. The tools developed are state-of-the-art and, consequently, highly sought after by many outside research organizations.
Learn More about APL
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Organization: University of California, Santa Cruz, Jack Baskin School of Engineering
Project Leader: Bin Chen
Project Description: The Advanced Space Science and Technology (ASST) project is working to enable future space exploration
missions, both of a long-duration human and robotic nature. To that end, the ASST conducts multidisciplinary research in the development
of space-applicable technology made possible by the use of novel materials. The first goal of ASST research, therefore, is to understand
the fundamental physical properties of materials. That information can then be used to modify and synthesize new composite materials for
application in molecular and biomarker sensing, radiation detection and protection, and energy storage and harvesting. Ultimately,
ASST’s mission is to develop advanced materials for next-generation-detection techniques to aid in the search for signs of life beyond
Earth, for radiation shielding, and for power generation, particularly during the conduct of future NASA missions.
Learn More about ASST
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Organization: Baltic Sea Solutions
Project Leader: Anders Riel Muller
Project Description: Baltic Sea Solutions (BaSS) is a Danish non-profit organization with the mission of fostering
sustainable regional economic development in peripheral and island communities. Its focus is on creating self-sustaining communities
with the capacity to innovate continuously in their use of technology to power social development, economic development and environmental
sustainability. BaSS plays a role in achieving these community-based goals by acting as strategy and planning advisors to regional
governments and project developers. Its primary contribution comes from forming and maintaining productive
university – industry –government – community interactions focused on applied technological innovation. BaSS operates a number of
Community Test Facilities that are the centers of its field evaluation activities. At these CTF sites, community groups, government
institutions, researchers and industrial entrepreneurs work together to adapt and implement emerging renewable energy and water solutions.
The CTF facilities provide ASL Affiliate collaborators with a real-world physical venue to apply, assess, and advance their research
findings in an environmental and socio-economic context. This greatly enhances the resulting product solutions, improves installation
and customization protocols, and expedites the transfer of laboratory innovations to the public via commercialization processes.
Learn More: Check out the BaSS web site at:
http://www.bass.dk/en/
Learn More about BaSS
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Organization: NASA Cooperative Agreement with University of California, Santa Cruz
Project Leader:Program Director
Project Description: The Bio|Info|Nano Research and Development Institute (BIN-RDI) is a joint collaboration of NASA Ames
Research Center and the University of California, Santa Cruz. Information on the BIN-RDI site is being updated...
Learn More: Check out the BIN-RDI web site at:
http://www.bioinfonano.org/
Learn More about BIN-RDI
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Organization: Santa Clara University, School of Engineering
Project Leader: Cary Yang
Project Description: The Center for Nanostructures (CNS) is a collaborative venture of the School of Engineering and the College
of Arts and Sciences at Santa Clara University. Its integrated approach combines interdisciplinary research spanning the diverse fields of
nanoscale science and technology with a tightly coupled educational program component. A focal point CNS activity, the U.S. Army-funded
Thermal and Electrical Nanoscale Transport (TENT) project, conducts research on electrical interconnects and thermal interfaces. A key goal
is development of new technologies that can be applied to the manufacture of current and future high-performance integrated circuits. This
research may well yield the enhanced performance and increased reliability integrated-circuit manufacturers require for their most
advanced products.
Learn More: Check out the CNS web site at: http://www.scu.edu/cns/
Learn More about CNS
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Organization: Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz
Project Leader: Claire Gu
Project Description: The Fiber Optics in Sensory and Sustainability Applications (FOSSA) project is an extension of
current research by the project lead on fiber optic devices. The research plan focuses on two primary areas: Optical Fiber Voltaic
Cells and Ultra-High Sensitivity Optical Fiber Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) Sensors. As part of the optical fiber voltaic
cells research, the project lead will collaborate with the ASL’s Bin Chen to further
explore both the material aspect of the fiber photovoltaic cell and alternative fiber configurations. The ultra-high sensitivity
SERS sensor research will focus on using a signal processing technique to increase the signal-to-noise ratio of fiber SERS sensors
to dramatically increase the ability to detect extremely weak signals. Single molecule detection and preliminary spectrum recognition
capability are the ultimate goals of the planned research.
Learn More about FOSSA
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Organization: University of California, Santa Cruz, Jack Baskin School of Engineering
Project Leader: Nobuhiko P. Kobayashi
Project Description: The Nanostructured Energy Conversion Technology and Research (NECTAR) laboratory conducts fundamental
research to develop next-generation energy sources using nanoscale materials and technologies. This work is vitally important in
providing the resources needed to drive just about every aspect of the rapidly emerging global economy. In addition, it directly
supports critical, NASA-specific mission needs for ultra-small, low-cost, high-reliability energy sources to power the nation’s space
exploration vehicles, from human spacecraft to extraplanetary probes.
Learn More about NECTAR
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Organization: University of California, Santa Cruz
Project Co-Leaders: Sue Carter and Glenn Alers
Project Description: The Laboratory for Solar Energy and Renewable Fuels
is focused on using new material technologies and nanostructured devices to produce electricity and fuels from renewable
sources at dramatically reduced cost and/or weight. The laboratory designs, fabricates, characterizes and models advanced
energy devices, including solar cells, luminescent solar concentrators, photoelectrochemical cells, fuel cells and energy
storage devices. Devices are primarily fabricated using low cost solution processable materials and/or near atmospheric-based
processing methods. In addition, advanced processing methods for producing carbon neutral fuels and carbon sequestration are
explored. Given its focus on nanotechnologies and lightweight, high-efficiency energy technologies needed for space applications,
SERF anticipates a strong overlap with the missions of existing ASL affiliates ASST, BIN-RDI, AAMD, CNS, NECTAR and TCL,
as well as NASA Ames. SERF will also continue to work with the energy industry to facilitate rapid commercialization of solar
energy and renewable fuel technologies.
Learn More about SERF
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Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, STEP
Project Co-Leaders: Oana Marcu, Alfonso Davilla, Jhony Zavaleta and Nathan Bramall
Project Description: The NASA Science, Technology and Exploration Program (NASA STEP) will provide a
two-week training ground focused on informal education and hands-on activities in science research and space technology,
using astrobiology as the main theme of study. The program will serve a cadre of high school students and their
teachers beginning in the summer of 2009 and continuing in 2010 and 2011. Astrobiology is the perfect tool to
bring together all aspects of space exploration and sciences because it is a multidisciplinary field requiring
broad understanding of the underlying scientific disciplines -- from A to Z, astronomy to (evolutionary) zoology.
Astrobiology exploration on Earth (often in extreme environments) and beyond, also involves robotics, advanced
technology, and state-of-the-art instrumentation. NASA STEP will consist of a series of science and engineering
discovery lectures, hands-on exploration activities and local and virtual field trips with the background theme
of participating in a robotic mission to Mars to search for traces of life. A primary goal of NASA STEP is to
exploit NASA’s unique position to provide a top-notch training program and thereby engage and motivate young
students to choose science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-oriented careers. A second goal is
to increase public awareness/support for space activities and exploration.
Learn More about STEP
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Organization: NASA Ames Research Center’s Bioengineering Branch and the University of California,
Santa Cruz’s Center for Integrated Water Research (CIWR) and Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (CAFS)
Project Leader: Sherwin Gormly
Project Description: SWTC’s initial target of research interest is the application of
Exploration Life Support (ELS) water process/recycling technologies for Earth-based sustainable living. The first planned demonstration
project will focus on rainwater, gray water and/or laundry water recycling. Overall, ELS technologies and concepts will be applied to
the specific needs of the CIWR, a sustainable demonstration farm and adjacent facilities at UCSC. All research undertaken will support
both NASA and UCSC water sustainability objectives and will be well aligned with the goals of the ASL.
Learn More about SWTC
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Organization: University of California, Santa Cruz, Jack Baskin School of Engineering
Project Leader: Ali Shakouri
Project Description: The University of California, Santa Cruz’s quantum electronics group has been researching thermal issues
in electronic and optoelectronic devices for the past 10 years. The new, UCSC-sponsored Thermal Characterization Laboratory (TCL) is
capitalizing on that foundation through a state-of-the-art facility being built at the ASL to delineate, validate and document the
behavior of target materials and devices for a range of temperature profiles of interest. Current TCL research is focused on nanostructured
thin films and thermal interface materials. In addition, the TCL is performing thermal imaging of active electronic and optoelectronic
devices.
Learn More about TCL
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Interested in becoming an ASL Affiliate?
ASL is always looking for more affiliates. If you are interested in doing work with ASL, please contact
the Director,
Benefits of Affiliation Include:
- An open-access, cooperative facility with a free flow of researchers and ideas
- Respond to funding opportunities from multiple sources, for pilot and full-scale activities
- Access to wet and dry laboratory facilities
- Access to temporary and long-term office and lab space
- Access to shared equipment
- Partner with researchers and technologists from ARC, UCSC, other academic, and industrial Affiliates
- Student engagement from UC and other academic partners
To download ASL's Application for Affiliation, click here.
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