New York Gains Grant For 'Green Jobs'

The College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) of the University at Albany, N.Y. has received a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The $600,000 grant is part of a new initiative that will support the growth of green energy jobs and businesses across New York State by advancing clean and renewable energy technologies. The grant will fund the "Collaboration to Leverage Energy and Nanotechnology" (CLEAN), spearheaded by CNSE's Energy and Environmental Technology Applications Center. The goals of the CLEAN initiative include accelerating the development of advanced technologies for solar and fuel cells, ultracapacitors and other clean energy sources. Many of the high-tech jobs lost in North America last year will never return, having shifted to Asia or disappeared altogether during the worst recession to have hit the industry in years. But there are hopeful signs as the book closes on the first calendar quarter of 2010, with various companies, industry sectors and regions announcing hiring or retraining programs.