Chemistry (12) The Integrated Laboratory Network (ILN) provides anytime and anyplace access to scientific instrumentation and supporting instructional materials through the use of web-based technologies. The initiative brings together a number of secondary and post-secondary schools to expand and enhance the use of remote instrumentation within the curriculum through the Integrated Laboratory Network Consortium (ILNC). The ILNC develops and tests the web-based tools necessary for institutions to effectively share and use remote instrumentation for a variety of classroom, laboratory, and research activities. The ILNC also has developed a self sustaining business model necessary for institutions to effectively provide and use ILN resources. The intellectual merit of this project lies in benefits gained by students, faculty, and researchers from the expanded use of instrumentation throughout the curriculum. Access to instrumentation outside the traditional classroom and laboratory timeframe provides better training for more students in the operation of scientific instruments, expands opportunities for students to participate in authentic scientific activities, and promotes and enables the project to have broad impact. The project provides many institutions with access to instruments that would otherwise be expensive to acquire and costly and difficult to maintain. These benefits accrue to institutions ranging from public high schools, tribal colleges, community colleges, colleges and universities.
