The technology may be small, but not the cost of hiring directors for its centers of excellence. That's the argument the University of Washington is making in asking the state legislature for $4.5 million to hire Gabriel Aeppli as director of the university's Center for Nanotechnology.

Aeppli, currently the director of the London Centre for Nanotechnology, has already been flown in to meet with University President Mark Emmert, Governor Chris Gregoire, and other state lawmakers.

The requested funds would go toward renovating the university's Centre for Nanotechnology and buying new equipment "as a carrot" for recruiting Aeppli, said Randy Hodgins, the university's director of state relations. And while $4.5 million may seem like a steep price for one individual, Aeppli has an impressive track record in fundraising, having raised $50 million for the London Centre for Nanotechnology, according to the Puget Sound Business Journal.