The University of Pittsburgh will receive $15 million to help pay for new laboratories for nanoscience and experimental physics from the U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology.

The recently announced grant is among 12 construction projects totaling $123 million awarded competitively through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The total project cost at Pitt is $27.8 million, with the remainder to be paid by the university. The project calls for building 13 new state-of-the-art experimental physics laboratories in Pitt's Department of Physics and Astronomy.

According to the NIST, the project's goals include the "creation of new scientific measurement technologies and novel electronic and telecommunication devices and a better understanding of large-scale storms and hurricanes."

It is expected that three additional full-time faculty will be hired.

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