This supplement augments the research program at the University of California, Berkeley's Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for Sensors and Actuators by cost- sharing a joint collaborative "TIE" project to be performed with Northwestern University's Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for Tribology. The "TIE" project is a joint synergistic effort to study and model the friction occurring with extremely small devices and loads. The Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for Sensors and Actuators is studying friction in very small devices under extremely small loads. The Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for Tribology is developing relevant solid mechanisms models that satisfy its collaboration's observations. The Program Manager recommends the University of California, Berkeley be awarded $50,000 for a two-year "TIE" project to be performed collaboratively with Northwestern University.
