Vision:

We lead the world in solving humanity’s most pressing problems through the application of nanotechnology.

In Professor Smalley’s words:

Rice’s research reputation comes from solving the hardest problems in science. Others can work on the easy ones, the applied problems. Focus on the grand challenges, the holy grails in nanotechnology. Don’t be distracted by the other things!

Mission:

To actively support and promote researchers using nanotechnology to tackle civilization’s grand challenges – energy, water, environment, disease, education – by providing experienced and knowledgeable leadership, a solid administrative framework, world-class scientific infrastructure, and productive community, industry, and government relations.

Goals for the Next 10 Years:

Double the value of the scientific infrastructure
Launch a Nanotechnology for Energy Center
Launch a K-∞ NanoEducation Center
Quadruple the Smalley-Curl innovation fund
Triple membership in the NanoFANS, Smalley Student Society, and Corporate Affiliates programs
Provide endowed Smalley Institute faculty chairs, post-doctoral fellowships, graduate student scholarships, and undergraduate research

Richard E. Smalley's Energy Vision

Building the bridge to a sustainable, affordable, and secure energy future.

Richard Smalley on Energy – University Professor Lecture Series January 2003

Vision Image

Richard Smalley's Energy Vision was The Distributed Storage-Generation Grid as he explains in his University Professor Lecture in January 2003 and has illustrated in the image above (pdf). He saw our energy system evolving to the point where energy is transported as electricity over wires rather than physical transportation of coal, oil, etc. This Distributed Energy Grid allows for multiple energy inputs like massive solar or wind farms down to local energy generation through solar cells on rooftops. In order to see this vision become reality, the current grid infrastructure must be overhauled.

Energy transportation over long distances via copper wire is not possible. Too much energy is lost to thermal thermal expansion. Professor Smalley's answer was to replace all the copper wiring with wires made of armchair carbon nanotubes, the Armchair Quantum Wire (AQW).