The President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology Releases The National Nanotechnology Initiative 5-Year Review

The President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology Releases The National Nanotechnology Initiative 5-Year Review

18 May 2005

The President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) released the report, The National Nanotechnology Initiative at Five Years: Assessment and Recommendations of the National Nanotechnology Advisory Panel. The report is PCAST's first assessment of the Federal Government's nanotechnology research efforts in its role as the National Nanotechnology Advisory Panel (NNAP). Among PCAST's findings are:

* The United States is the acknowledged international leader in nanotechnology research and development (R&D).
* The money the United States is investing in nanotechnology is money very well spent, and continued robust funding is important for the Nation's long-term economic well-being and national security.
* The NNI recognizes that the societal implications of nanotechnology ? including environmental and health effects ?must be taken into account, and is moving deliberately to identify, prioritize, and address such concerns.

PCAST recommends that the NNI take further steps to communicate with and establish links to U.S. industry to further facilitate technology transfer from the lab to the marketplace. Among its specific recommendations are that Federal-State coordination should be increased and that the NNI improve knowledge management and access to NNI assets. Other recommendations call for continued research on environmental, health and other societal issues and for support for education and workforce preparation.