9417870 Nelson This award provides partial (50%) funding for a technical support position at the isotope geochemistry laboratory in the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Washington. The University is committed to providing the remaining funds required to support the position. The technician will be in charge of operation and maintenance of the isotope geochemistry laboratory which includes a modern thermal ionization source mass spectrometer and associated clean-rooms for sample preparation. The technician will also train and supervise students and visiting researchers to the laboratory. The analytical capabilities of the laboratory include measurement of uranium-lead ages and neodymium, strontium, and lead isotope and trace element characteristics of rocks and minerals for the purpose of interpreting the Earth's tectonic history. ***