This new project is focused on establishing new microspectrophotometric measurement facilities and services to meet demands for reliable optical characterization and calibrations for a wide variety of emerging applications involving nanostructured materials. These applications include leading-edge manufacturing applications, such as the precise control of metal nanocomposite systems for optical sensors and high density information storage devices, singlemode infrared optical fibres for telecommunication, inks and pigments for printing and anti-counterfeiting applications, hair and fibre samples for forensic applications, and contamination detection in semiconductor processing. It is also planned, in the near-future, to extend these microspectrophotometric capabilities to fluorescence microspectroscopy which will offer a powerful non-invasive characterization tool for other technologically important nanomaterials, such as fluorescent nanocrystals or quantum dots which have many uses including biomarkers in biological and medical research and in high-efficiency solid-state lighting. The reliability of these measurements will be ensured by traceability to NRC-INMS spectrophotometric standards. Combining this metrological expertise with that of other NRC institutes in the fabrication of nanostructures, such as novel nano-dielectric materials, and in employing complementary micro-Raman spectroscopic analysis, this new optical characterization project promises to accelerate innovation in the development of nanostructured materials and devices, as well as the transfer of this technology to Canadian companies.