Challenges Facing Open Access Nanofabrication Facilities

The benefits of collaboration and the increasing cost of funding leading-edge instrumentation are drivers for the creation of national facilities. Established under the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) in 2007, the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF) provides researchers and industry with open access to state-of-the-art fabrication facilities across 20 participating institutions. Among the challenges facing the facility, the recruitment and retention of suitably qualified staff is a key issue. Hence the organisational strategy must be to position ANFF as an employer of choice.