Joint School of Nanoscience & Nanoengineering

What Joint School of Nanoscience & Nanoengineering does

The Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (JSNN) is a joint graduate academic institution established in 2009 and operated collaboratively by North Carolina A&T State University and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Headquartered in Greensboro, NC with approximately 117 employees, JSNN offers M.S. and Ph.D. programs in two disciplines: Nanoscience (admitted through UNCG Graduate School) and Nanoengineering (admitted through NC A&T Graduate School). The institution's research is organized around six focus areas: nanobioscience, nanometrology, nanomaterials, nanobioelectronics, nanoenergy, and computational nanotechnology, with faculty conducting work spanning biomimetic nanostructured materials, nanowire-based infrared photodetectors, organic semiconductors, and bioinspired polymer engineering.

JSNN's core technology infrastructure is concentrated in the Joint School's Institute for Research Technologies (JSIRT), a central facility hub providing access to over $100M in advanced instrumentation including a Class 1000 cleanroom (with PECVD, PVD, ALD, and 3D printing capabilities), a JEOL JEM-2100plus TEM (0.19nm resolution), a Zeiss Auriga FIB/FESEM with EDX, a Zeiss Orion Plus Helium Ion Microscope (0.3nm resolution), and a comprehensive analytical chemistry suite (UPLC/HPLC, GC-MS, ICP-MS, XPS, NMR spectrometers). Instrument scheduling and access are managed via the Facility Online Manager (FOM) software platform.

Revenue mechanics are multi-stream and characteristic of a non-profit academic institution: federal and defense research grants (most notably a $1.05M U.S. Department of Defense DEVCOM Soldier Center cooperative agreement for the ICONS program established in 2021, with external grant funding up 240% from 2019-2024), fee-for-use JSIRT facility access ($100/hour for industry users, $50/hour for academic/government, with instrument-specific rates ranging $20-$303/hour), graduate application fees ($65 per application), and parent-university state appropriations through the UNC System. Customer segments span prospective graduate students (primary), industry R&D partners seeking instrument access without capital investment, and government/defense researchers (notably DoD DEVCOM). JSNN reported 72 peer-reviewed publications in 2024, a 7.4:1 student-to-faculty ratio, and 140% growth in degrees conferred (2019-2024).

Name

Joint School of Nanoscience & Nanoengineering

Legal name

Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering

Website

https://jsnn.ncat.uncg.edu

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

JSNN is a joint graduate school between NC A&T and UNCG offering M.S. and Ph.D. programs in Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, operating the JSIRT research facility hub with $100M+ in advanced instrumentation for academic, industry, and government users.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Greensboro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Research Facility User Fees: JSIRT provides fee-for-use access to analytical and characterization instrumentation. External for-profit users pay $100/hour base rate (with instrument-specific rates ranging from $20-$303/hour for advanced microscopy); academic and government users pay $50/hour. Cleanroom general use is $130/hour (industry) or $65/hour (academic). Some specialized equipment requires contact for pricing.
2. Federal/Defense Research Grants: Research funding from federal agencies including a $1.05M cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense through DEVCOM Soldier Center for the ICONS program. External grant funding increased 240% from 2019-2024.
3. Graduate Application Fees: $65 application fee for graduate program admissions processed through NC A&T Graduate School and UNCG Graduate School portals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

JSNN is a joint graduate academic institution operated by North Carolina A&T State University and UNC Greensboro that delivers M.S. and Ph.D. programs in Nanoscience and Nanoengineering and operates JSIRT (Joint School's Institute for Research Technologies), providing fee-for-use access to advanced research instrumentation including electron microscopes, a Class 1000 cleanroom, and analytical chemistry tools for academic, industry, and government users. The institution also conducts federally funded research, including a $1.05M cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense for the ICONS program.

Product overview

JSNN is a joint academic institution offering M.S. and Ph.D. graduate programs in Nanoscience (via UNC Greensboro) and Nanoengineering (via NC A&T State University). The institution operates JSIRT (Joint School's Institute for Research Technologies), which provides fee-for-use access to advanced research instrumentation including electron microscopes, spectrometry equipment, and microfabrication tools. An internal software tool called FOM (Facility Online Manager) handles instrument scheduling and resource management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nanoscience Graduate Programs M.S. and Ph.D. programs in Nanoscience offered through UNC Greensboro, focusing on interdisciplinary nanoscience research across six focus areas: nanobioscience, nanometrology, nanomaterials, nanobioelectronics, nanoenergy, and computational nanotechnology. For prospective graduate students with undergraduate STEM background.
• Nanoengineering Graduate Programs M.S. and Ph.D. programs in Nanoengineering offered through NC A&T State University, emphasizing engineering applications of nanotechnology including micro/nanofabrication, materials engineering, and bioengineering. For prospective graduate students with undergraduate STEM background.
• Joint School's Institute for Research Technologies (JSIRT) — Research Facility Services Fee-for-use access to advanced imaging, fabrication, characterization, and computational tools for academic, industry, and government users. Organized into core areas: Advanced Microscopy, Analytical Chemistry, Materials Testing, Micro and Nanofabrication. External for-profit users are charged at $100/hour base rate; academic and government users at $50/hour base rate. Cleanroom general use is $130/hour (industry) or $65/hour (academic).

Quantifiable outcome

• 240% increase in external grant funding from 2019-2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• U.S. Department of Defense - DEVCOM Soldier CenterflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022ICONS (Innovation Collaborative Laboratory for Nanotechnologies to Empower the Future Soldier) is a joint collaborative laboratory established through a $1.05M cooperative agreement. The partnership enables JSNN faculty and students to work with DEVCOM scientists on soldier protection technologies including sustainable nanoscale materials for clothing, chemical/biological hazard sensors, and decontamination technologies. The proximity of JSNN to North Carolina military bases facilitates direct collaboration with soldiers and veterans.
• North Carolina A&T State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint school partnership where NC A&T serves as the primary administrative host. Students in Nanoengineering programs apply through NC A&T Graduate School. NC A&T faculty contribute to research collaborations and student mentorship.
• University of North Carolina GreensborocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint school partnership where UNCG serves as the degree-granting institution. Students in Nanoscience programs apply through UNCG Graduate School. UNCG faculty contribute to research collaborations and student mentorship.
• LANDAUERminorOthersDosimetry service provider for X-ray radiation safety monitoring. ROEHS submits personal dosimeter badges quarterly for exposure analysis and reporting.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Eurofins Scientific: Global commercial testing and analytical services network. Comparable to JSNN in operating fee-for-use analytical instrumentation and serving industry/government clients, though at vastly larger scale and broader scope.
• RTI International: Non-profit research institute offering contract R&D and analytical services across multiple scientific disciplines. Comparable to JSNN/JSIRT in providing fee-for-service scientific services and government-funded research.

Regional players

• Oak Ridge National Laboratory - Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences: DOE user facility for nanoscience research with shared instrumentation. Comparable in mission and equipment set; differs in being federally operated rather than university-administered.

Direct peers

• Georgia Tech Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology: Interdisciplinary research institute offering shared nano-fabrication, characterization, and graduate training. Comparable to JSNN in combining degree programs with open-access nano instrumentation.
• SUNY Polytechnic Institute - Albany NanoTech Complex: Operates a 300mm-class semiconductor and nanofabrication research facility combined with graduate degree programs. Most structurally comparable to JSNN's combined education + fee-for-use cleanroom + nanofabrication model.
• University of Pennsylvania Singh Center for Nanotechnology: University-based nanofabrication facility with fee-for-service access for academic and industry users. Directly comparable to JSIRT in service model and equipment mix.
• Stanford Nano Shared Facilities: University-hosted shared nano-characterization and fabrication facility with multi-instrument capability. Directly comparable to JSIRT in technology stack and academic/industry user model.
• University of Michigan Lurie Nanofabrication Facility: University-based open-access nanofabrication and characterization facility serving academic and industry users. Comparable to JSIRT in offering cleanroom and advanced microscopy on a paid-access basis.

Emerging players

• Argonne National Laboratory - Center for Nanoscale Materials: DOE national-lab user facility offering open-access nanoscale fabrication and characterization. Comparable to JSNN's research mission and government-user access model, though operating at larger scale and federal funding level.
• NIST Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology: Federal shared nano-fabrication and measurement facility serving industry, academia, and government. Comparable in service model and customer mix, though anchored to NIST rather than a university.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCIZ49HN7pO3hBjLO96y0c9w
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheJointSchoolOfNanoscienceAndNanoengineering
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/jsnn
• Instagraminstagram.com/jsnn_the_nanoworld

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Joint School of Nanoscience & Nanoengineering