National Nanotechnology Initiative Progressing Rapidly
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WASHINGTON NEWS National Nanotechnology Initiative Progressing Rapidly A little more than a year after the federal government began its National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), the program already has hundreds of research and development (R&D) projects under way. New regional research centers are under development. Government officials involved hold monthly interagency planning meetings, and the respective agencies update Congress on the results. A series of workshops is planned to educate prospective target industries, and a national nanotechnology database is in prospect. Nearly every agency involved in the initiative has sought substantial increases in R&D funding for fiscal year 2002. The actual rate of progress in nanotechnology has been almost as fast as that envisioned by the originators of the initiative. Only a few years ago, the main task was to explain what “nano” was and how it could affect manufacturing industries and the economy in general, according to Mike Roco, who chairs the National Science and Technology Council’s subcommittee on nanoscale science, engineering, and technology (NSET). But now, Roco said, “we’re moving quickly out of the theory phase to the phase of competition.” Even in the relative near term, the impact may be enormous. Roco estimates that nanotechnology may be a $1 trillion industry within 20 years. For example, within 15 years, the entire semiconductor industry will be working at the nanoscale, he said, as will half or more of the pharmaceutical industry. Other areas such as water distillation, solar-energy conversion, and sustainable development will experience a major impact. “Companies are no longer questioning whether the technologies will work,” Roco said. “It’s becoming a matter of who gets to lead.” Lance Haworth of the National Science Foundation’s Division of Materials agrees. He said that NSF is looking at what is needed to move toward manufacturing applications for the nanotechnologies that have been already developed. One possibility is building a network of facilities for instrumentation. Toward that end, NSF is requesting a “modest amount,” $5-6 million, to build two or three nodes in that network, placing them at university facilities, and allowing free access to private industry. The nodes would offer both manufacturing hardware and research capabilities. Such optimism is reflected in both the size of FY 2002 budget requests and by the new programs envisioned for the next few years. For example, NSF’s nanoscale science and engineering request is nearly $175 million, or $24 million more than FY 2001. NSF intends to use the extra money
to focus on “interdisciplinary research and education teams, nanoscale science and engineering centers, and exploratory research and education and training.” In other words, the agency is laying the foundation for a national R&D infrastructure that can be accessed by private industry. Basic research will continue, however. About $8 million of NSF’s nano budget will be channeled into its traditional research (“Grand Challenge” pro
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