IUCRC Phase II Notre Dame: Center for Bioanalytic Metrology (CBM) - Lead Site

The Notre Dame Site of the Center for Bioanalytic Metrology (CBM) works in collaboration with partner Sites at Indiana University-Bloomington and Purdue University to address two objectives: (1) to deliver best-in-class analytic metrology tools and expertise enabling the development of powerful new precompetitive technologies across the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, food/nutrition/agriculture, and energy sectors; and (2) to test applications of new instrumentation to cutting-edge chemical and biochemical problems. These objectives contribute to the national welfare by supporting the development of advanced industrial technologies across all four sectors. In addition, CBM provides compelling opportunities to invigorate human resources through access to hires of Center-trained students and opportunities for continuing education of existing staff. CBM operates under a unified site model, in which projects, independent of location, are associated with any member company with a significant interest in them. In addition, CBM operates by identifying the most timely and important problems of interest to its members and devising projects to address them. This approach is accomplished in a yearly cycle that starts with member companies identifying their most pressing Gaps, Needs, and Opportunities (GNO). These GNOs are used to solicit proposals, and the most timely and responsive proposals are selected for funding. CBM’s research groups projects into five thematic areas - (1) overcoming performance limits, (2) point-of-use technologies, (3) ML/AI data science & automation, (4) chemical imaging, and (5) enabling research technologies. The grouping of project themes recognizes a natural organization of the research carried out within CBM that reflects the strengths of the individual sites, but each theme contains projects of interest to members in all four industry sectors. The Notre Dame site contributes most substantially to the point-of-use technologies and enabling research technologies themes. This mapping reflects the strength of Notre Dame scientists in protein biochemistry, molecular separations, chemical sensors, biomimetic materials, optical spectroscopy, and molecular recognition. CBM research provides longer-term, larger-scale, and more cost-effective solutions to pre-competitive industry measurement science problems than those that can be achieved in-house or through contract research organizations. In addition, CBM provides industry members with compelling opportunities to invigorate human resources through access to hires of Center-trained students and opportunities for continuing education of existing staff. Broader impacts of the CBM include: increasing US economic competitiveness, increasing the number of partnerships between academia and industry, and contributing directly to the development of a globally competitive STEM workforce. This award is co-funded by the following Programs: Industry University Cooperative Research Centers Program in the Division of Engineering Education and Centers - in the Directorate for Engineering, and the Chemical Measurement and Imaging (CMI) Program in the Division of Chemistry, Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.