NNI Workshop Charts Progress and Future Challenges
- PDF / 35,711 Bytes
- 1 Pages / 612 x 792 pts (letter) Page_size
- 90 Downloads / 203 Views
WASHINGTON NEWS
NNI Workshop Charts Progress and Future Challenges In its first two years of existence, the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) has more than doubled its initial funding level and reached several key technical objectives ahead of schedule, according to featured speakers at a conference held in Arlington, Va., April 29 through May 1. Leading experts and officials from government agencies and research centers around the country discussed progress in nanoscale research and development (R&D) to date, potential applications, and business opportunities, and reported on recent discoveries and future NNI research priorities. First deployed under the Clinton administration, NNI has received broad bipartisan support in Congress, due in large part to the long-term societal implications of such research in terms of potential applications. In fact, nanotechnology is already having a major impact on the commercial marketplace. For instance, giant-magnetoresistance materials are now routinely used in magneticstorage applications, and the use of nanoparticles in drug delivery systems and to reinforce polymer materials is becoming equally commonplace. For example, scientists at Rutgers University are developing and commercializing a new class of polymer blends containing functional nanoparticles, building on their earlier work on plastic lumber applications, now in use by several New Jerseybased companies. These early successes are expected to help launch future applications in nanotechnology. The strong support is reflected in the federal funding levels for NNI, which continue to rise. From a starting budget of $270 million in its first year, NNI’s budget increased to $422 million in FY2001 and $604.4 million in FY2002. The Bush White House has continued the Clinton administration’s support of the initiative with a requested R&D budget for FY2003 of $710.2 million, a smaller increase than in past years, but still strong in light of the recent economic decline. The National Science Foundation (NSF) would receive the largest piece of the budgetary pie, with a requested $221 million, followed by the Department of Defense (DoD) with $201 million and the Department of Energy (DOE) with $139.3 million. Equally important to the program’s success has been the acceptance of NNI’s
vision by the scientific community, professional societies, and the general public. “The NNI has raised the flag of nanotechnology as a megatrend in science and engineering, both in the U.S. and abroad, and there is almost no S&E field not touched yet by nanotechnology,” said conference chair Mihail C. Roco, a senior advisor at NSF and chair of the National Science and Technology Council’s Subcommittee on Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology (NSET), who delivered the keynote address. Industry has been just as eager to embrace the trend, investing equivalent R&D amounts— compared with federal funding—in hopes of capitalizing on the commercial promise of nanotechnology. Nonetheless, Roco believes there is a need for a coherent 5–10-y
Data Loading...
