UNITED STATES NATIONAL NANOTECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE

Abstract

ISEE-420 The vision of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) is a future in which the ability to understand and control matter on the nanoscale leads to a revolution in technology and industry. Towards this vision, the NNI will expedite the discovery, development, and deployment of nanotechnology in order to achieve responsible and sustainable economic benefits, to enhance the quality of life and to promote national security. This initiative is a multi-agency, multi-disciplinary program that supports research and development (R&D); develops infrastructure; and promotes education, knowledge diffusion, and commercialization in nanotechnology. Concurrent with development of new technology options, the NNI is addressing nanotechnology's various societal dimensions. With the goal of achieving the above vision, the National Nanotechnology Initiative was launched in the fiscal year 2001. Since that time, the annual federal investment in nanotechnology R&D has more than doubled to almost $1 billion, the number of federal agencies investing in nanotechnology R&D has grown from 6 to 11, and the total number of participating agencies has grown from 6 to 22. Participating agencies are those for which nanotechnology is relevant to the agency mission, including those both with and without nanotechnology R&D funding. Inter-agency coordination is managed through the Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology (NSET) Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Committee on Technology. The strategy for the initiative that was laid out in 2001 has been, by all measures, a success. Nanotechnology R&D has led to substantial increases in scientific knowledge, publications, patents, and new jobs and businesses in this area. Much of this success is directly or indirectly based on the results of federally funded R&D, and the NNI has become the model for similar programs around the world.