Statement of
E. Clayton Teague
Director of the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office
Committee on Technology
National Science and Technology Council
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
United States Senate
May 1, 2003
Chairman Allen, Senator Wyden, members of the Committee, I am pleased and honored to have this opportunity to appear before you today in behalf of the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO) and the Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology (NSET) Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). I, and all agency representatives on the NSET Subcommittee, believe strongly in the tremendous potential and importance of nanotechnology for the security, economic prosperity, and general welfare of our nation. We also share this Committee’s belief that Federal support for nanotechnology R&D is essential for efficient development of the scientific understanding, advanced facilities, education, and standards necessary for timely translation of R&D in nanotechnology into true economic development.
As
the National Nanotechnology
Initiative (NNI) has defined it, nanotechnology is the ability to work – to
see, measure, and manipulate - at the atomic, molecular, and supramolecular
levels, in the length scale of approximately 1-100 nm range, with the goal of
understanding and creating useful materials, devices, and systems that exploit
the fundamentally new properties, phenomena, and functions resulting from their
small structure. So, nanotechnology is
not just the study of small things. Nanoscale
research and development is the study of materials, devices, and systems that
exhibit physical and chemical properties quite different from those found in
larger scale systems. Take the
semiconductor cadmium sulfide as an example.
In its large-scale form, it is typically used as a material for
constructing detectors of light. But,
when it is formed as small crystals of less than 10 nm – termed quantum dots –
the material as a nanostructure has the property of fluorescing with a color
dependent on the size of the crystal.
In a demonstration accompanying this testimony, I would like to show the
Committee this nanoscale size-dependent phenomenon. When illuminated with near-UV light, five vials of liquid
containing cadmium sulfide quantum dots ranging in size from 3 nanometers to 7
nanometers will be shown to fluoresce with colors ranging from blue to red, the
blue light being produced by the 3 nanometer quantum dots and the red light
being produced by the 7 nanometer quantum dots. Such size-dependent quantum dots and nanorods promise to have a
wide range of applications in improved solar cells, biological imaging of
cells, and faster DNA testing.
This NSET focused definition of
nanotechnology, along with the NNI vision and program elements, were carefully
prescribed in the basic research directions document for the NNI, drafted in
1999. The definition, vision, and
program elements have served the program as guiding principles for the NNI
since that time. More than thirty other
countries have also modeled their nanotechnology programs on the NNI.
As a scientist who has worked for over twenty-five years in some of the fields now included in nanotechnology, I’d now like to offer my perspective on how this technology is developing. Then, I’ll describe plans for the NNCO and the interactions underway between the NNCO, the NSET Subcommittee, and the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).
I had the privilege early in my career of observing the phenomenon of quantum mechanical tunneling between two small gold spheres spaced about one nanometer – ten atomic diameters - apart. In classical physics no current flow would occur between metals not touching. But in quantum mechanics, the electrons “tunnel” through this potential energy barrier produced by the physical gap. With a small voltage applied between the spheres, changing the spacing between them by only one atomic diameter would cause the current flow to change by a factor of ten, an extraordinarily large change. This characteristic of quantum mechanical tunneling between two closely spaced metals – known and predicted by theory - proved to be the basis for the totally unexpected discovery later by Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rhorer that by carefully moving a sharpened metal tip about one nanometer above a surface one could resolve and draw images of the individual atoms constituting the surface. For the first time in scientific history, we could virtually reach down and touch the very rudiments of all matter – the atoms! Nothing in my career has generated as much sustained excitement and stirred as much imagination and creativity as did this discovery. That was twenty years ago, and I still marvel at the beautiful and refined images of atoms obtained with this instrument, the scanning tunneling microscope.
About ten years later, Don Eigler and colleagues demonstrated that using a scanning tunneling microscope they could not only reach down and touch the atoms but, in addition, could controllably move individual atoms around on a surface and build atomic structures they designed – atomically precise letters of the alphabet and quantum corrals for electrons. There have been many other developments since then leading to the current rapid development of nanotechnology, but these two demonstrations are clearly the events that energized the scientific community to begin thinking seriously about the real possibility of atom-by-atom structuring of matter.
Parallel to these developments in the direct mechanical manipulation of atoms with the scanning tunneling microscope, similar exciting things were taking place in other fields now included in nanotechnology. The discovery of fullerene molecules – buckyballs and nanotubes - sprang from the study of small clusters of carbon; ultra miniaturization of microelectronics produced the burgeoning field of thin film superlattices and quantum dots; DNA and other biomolecules emerged from biotechnology as unique building blocks; the study of very large or supramolecules produced surprisingly efficient catalysts. This is only a small number of the fields overlapping with the field now termed nanotechnology; each has its own exciting story of discovery and rapid development over the last ten years or so.
With all these approaches and processes, just imagine the astounding number of structures one can build with the 91 atoms of the periodic table. The rich possibilities may be appreciated by considering the large number of atoms in typical nanoscale sized structures. Nanoscale structures with dimensions of 1 nanometer can contain up to about 100 atoms; those with dimensions of 2 nanometers, up to about 1000 atoms; and those with dimensions of 100 nanometers, up to about 100 million atoms. The number of possible structures within this nanoscale size range isn’t infinite but it is huge. The structures that we can build will be limited more by our creativity and imagination than by the ultimate bounding of possibilities posed by the laws of physics.
So where are we in our abilities to realize all these wonderfully rich possibilities, and why is there a need for so much research and development? First, even with the rapid progress made in scanning probe techniques for assembling atoms, the first assembly of atoms involving true molecular bonding was only achieved in 2000 and that was assembling a three-atom structure. Currently, we have an inadequate degree of control at the nanoscale and our tools and processes for assembling atoms is very slow. We still do not have the understanding, the tools, and processes for the full control of assembling reasonably large numbers of atoms into desired structures. As an example, we cannot form single wall nanotubes with a known twist or chirality. This is critical because depending on the twist of the nanotubes; they may be metals or semiconductors. Speed in forming a macroscopic quantity of these nanostructures, say enough for a drug tablet, is critical because it requires assembling about a million, billion, billion, atoms! Innovative combinations of top-down tools such as lithography with methods of directed self-assembly of atoms and molecules have provided means to overcome some of the speed limitations yet with some resultant loss in ultimate control of the atomic and molecular form of the resulting structures.
This gives you a sense of the task remaining before us and the amazing potential for making new materials, devices and systems as we continue to engage the challenges.
Relative to the long-range potential just outlined, nanotechnology is truly in its embryonic stage of development. Yet, many important nanotechnology-based products are already in use today. Few people are aware of these first commercial nano products because they are more incremental than revolutionary.
Some applications of nanotechnology have been in use for many years, and we can now begin to appreciate their economic impact. The U.S. oil industry saves an estimated 400 million barrels of oil each year, representing some $12 billion, through the use of nanoparticles called zeolites, which act as molecular sieves. Zeolites extract up to 40 percent more gasoline from crude oil than the catalysts that were previously used. Recently, the automobile industry was able to substantially reduce the amount of precious metals used in its catalytic converters and substantially extend their longevity, in part due to advancements in nanostructured catalysts. These examples show how significant a contribution nanotechnology can make to our economy, environment, and natural resources management.
Other nanotechnology based products that have become available over the last year or two include:
In addition, exciting new applications are in the product pipeline, with patents already licensed, and partnerships sealed between product developers and manufacturers. But these near-term applications are modest in comparison to the potential applications of research now being conducted under the auspices of NNI funding. Examples include the following:
Nanotechnology is highly interdisciplinary. It is not just chemistry, molecular biology, medicine, physics, engineering, information science and metrology; it is all of these fields at once. R&D efforts, accordingly, require extraordinary coordination and cooperation within the scientific community, among Federal, state, and local agencies, and with industry. Further collaboration with industry in particular is necessary to commercialize scientific discoveries.
Technology transfer and commercialization have been key elements of the NNI plan from its inception. NSET member agencies have responded to this challenge by designing industry outreach activities into many of their funding programs within the NNI. Some examples are included below:
1. Several agencies (e.g., NIH, NSF and DOE for example) have put out special nano SBIR solicitations or have included language specifically encouraging nanotechnology-related SBIR proposals. NSF hosted an NNI SBIR workshop in March 2002 reporting on the results of initial FY '01 SBIR funding in nanotechnology. Six agencies (NSF, NIST, NIH, USDA, EPA, and NASA) presented information on nanotechnology-related SBIR funding activities at that workshop. In data later provided to NNCO, these agencies reported a total of over 65 nano-related SBIR awards made in fiscal year 2001, with a total funding of over $11 million. This figure is certain to be higher in fiscal years '02 and '03, given the growth in the overall NNI budget since FY 2001.
2. While some NSET agencies are restricted from funding R&D activities in companies (SBIR excepted), other agencies do not have such restrictions. Within the NNI, agencies that primarily fund academic research are partnering with agencies that can fund industrial development to assure the timely transfer of basic research developments into industry. For example, the Department of Defense plays a key role in carrying nanotechnology innovations all the way from basic research funded at agencies such as ONR and DARPA into industrial practice. Thus, ONR was able to accelerate the application of wear-resistant nanostructured coatings developed under its basic research funding, and these coatings are now deployed in some Navy ships, reducing wear in turbine shaft bearings, in turn reducing the need for major propulsion systems overhauls, and thus reducing costs and increasing readiness of the Navy fleet. DOD research agencies frequently work with NSF and other basic research agencies to co-fund promising academic research, then DOD can pick up the results and promote the accelerated development of military applications through development work funded at major defense contractors.
3. The Department of Energy's Nanoscale Science Research Centers (NSRCs) are designed to be "user facilities" open to researchers from U.S. industry. Depending on intellectual property rules the industry researchers may be working under, the use of the DOE facilities may be free, or may entail the payment of a modest fee. DOE held a large meeting on Feb. 26-27, 2003, to formally initiate the NSRC program; the first annual users' meeting was held on Feb. 28. Members of Congress, nanotechnology researchers, and industrialists participated in the meeting, which was designed to highlight the opportunities that the new DOE facilities will afford to researchers from both academia and industry.
4. Nanoscale Science and Engineering Centers funded by NSF require industrial interest and effective plans for cooperation with industry. The focus for FY 2003 is on manufacturing processes at the nanoscale, so industrial participation is all the more important as NSF reviews the new proposals that will be submitted in response to this year's solicitation.
5. Industry participation is required in the NSF program entitled, "Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI)." Several of the GOALI awards that were made by NSF in FY '02 were closely related to nanotechnology.
6. The U.S. Army's Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies at MIT reflects a partnership among MIT, the Army, and private industry. Currently active industrial partners include Dupont and Raytheon.
7. Similarly, the DARPA/DMEA Center for Nanoscience Innovation for Defense (University of California at Santa Barbara) maintains close industrial ties, with industry representation on the technical advisory committee and with participation by Rockwell Scientific and Motorola.
8. NSF's National Nanofabrication Users' Network (NNUN) provides nanofabrication and other research infrastructure at 5 universities around the country, available for use by either industrial or academic researchers. Each year industry researchers conduct hundreds of research projects that involve use of NNUN facilities. NSF plans to re-organize and roughly double the size of the NNUN program in the coming year.
9. The Department of Commerce has assisted the NNI in organizing workshops in Los Angeles and Houston aimed at building local and regional alliances between researchers, local businesses, and entrepreneurs and investors to promote the commercial development of nanotechnology. Additional workshops are planned in the coming year for the Boston and Chicago areas. Reports from these and many other nanotechnology-related workshops are available at http://wtec.org/nanoreports/.
10. NSF held a special workshop for public and industry outreach at the Reagan Bldg. in Washington, DC on March 19, 2002. Entitled, "Small Wonders: Exploring the Vast Potential of Nanoscience," the meeting featured presentations on promising applications of nanotechnology in a wide variety of economic sectors, including materials, medicine, instrumentation, and electronics. Industrial participation included representatives from IBM, Lucent, Eastman Kodak, the Semiconductor Research Corporation, Motorola, the California Molecular Electronics Corporation, and Digital Instruments.
11. For the past two years running, the NNI has co-sponsored a large annual NNI meeting at which representatives of NSET agencies have explained the NNI programs, and at which leading NNI-supported researchers present their most promising findings. There has been significant industry participation in these meetings, which have provided yet another forum for building connections between researchers and industrial practitioners.
12. NNCO is now planning a workshop to enhance coordination between Federal NNI and state and regional nano initiatives that target economic development and commercialization. Key objective of this workshop are to find ways to better promote economic development through commercialization of nanotechnology breakthroughs, and to leverage the expertise and resources of existing state and local nanotechnology efforts. Another objective is to assure the broadest possible geographical distribution of the benefits of nanotechnology development -- the meeting will feature presentations from states that have established nanotechnology initiatives for the benefit of states and local governments that are hoping to establish such programs in the future. We have been working closely with Dr. Nathan Swami of the Virginia Nanotechnology Initiative, Sean Murdoch of Atomworks, and Mark Modzelewski of the Nanobusiness Alliance to plan and carry out this activity.
13. Industry leaders are participating in a series of workshops being organized this year by the NNCO to help establish detailed research plans corresponding to the NNI's nine grand challenge topics. One example is a workshop held in September of 2002 entitled, "Vision 2020 for the Chemical Industry." A chemical industry group manages the Vision 2020 exercise in cooperation with the DOE/Office of Industrial Technologies. This workshop was particularly targeted at identifying nanotechnology research opportunities that would benefit the chemical industry. Not all of the grand challenge workshops planned for the coming year will be industry-led in the way Vision 2020 was, but all will include representation from key companies in the relevant industries affected by the respective grand challenge topics.
14. A new research and education theme on "manufacturing at the nanoscale" has been added to the NSF's Nanoscale Science and Engineering (NSE) program solicitation in fiscal year 2002, and the program element "Nanomanufacturing" has been established in the Directorate for Engineering. NSF invested about $22 million in manufacturing research and education in fiscal year 2002, and two Nanoscale Science and Engineering centers with a focus on nanoscale manufacturing will be funded in fiscal year 2003. Also, SBIR nanotechnology investment has reached $10 million in fiscal year 2002.
Because of the complexity, cost and high risk associated with nanotechnology research, the private sector is often unable to assure itself of short- to medium-term returns on R&D investments in this field. Consequently, industry is not likely to undertake the basic research investments necessary to overcome the technical barriers that currently exist. The traditional government role of supporting basic research is thus particularly important in this case. Additional basic research will be needed to make these innovations ready for industry to develop and market.
The National Nanotechnology Initiative, or NNI, is a critical link between high-risk, novel research concepts and new technologies that can be developed by industry. Since the creation of the NNI in October 2000, Federal funding for nanotechnology has been coordinated through the NNI. The NNI has continued to the present time as a successful interagency program that encompasses and promotes relevant nanotechnology R&D among the participating Federal agencies. The Federal agencies currently participating in the NNI research budget are as follows:
· National Science Foundation
· Department of Defense
· Department of Energy
· National Institutes of Health
· Department of Commerce
· National Aeronautics and Space Administration
· Department of Agriculture
· Environmental Protection Agency
· Department of Homeland Security
· Department of Justice
Funding for the NNI provides support for a range of activities, which include: basic research on fundamental nanoscale science; focused efforts aimed to achieve major, long-term objectives of high significance—so-called “grand challenges;” and building research infrastructure (instrumentation, equipment, facilities) and centers and networks of excellence (larger, centralized facilities intended to provide sites for cooperative and collaborative efforts among distributed networks and groups of researchers at multiple affiliated institutions). Depending on the agency, funding supports research and applications of nanotechnology in support of the respective agency missions, research at national laboratories, and research at academic institutions and other research institutes. A portion of the funding is also dedicated to addressing non-technical research problems in a broader context, including societal implications and workforce and training issues.
The NNI has benefited and grown under this Administration’s strong commitment to furthering nanotechnology research and development. Support for the NNI is evidenced by significant funding increases for this interagency initiative in each of President Bush’s proposed budgets. That trend continues this year, with a 10% increase over last year’s request for nanotechnology (to $849 million) in the President’s FY 2004 budget. In addition, last year the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and OSTP Director Marburger issued a memo to the heads of executive departments and agencies identifying nanoscale science and technology as one of six interagency research and development priorities.
The research agenda for the ten agencies currently participating in the NNI is coordinated by the NSET Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). As you know, the NSTC is a cabinet-level interagency body through which interagency science and technology issues are discussed and coordinated. The NSET Subcommittee is staffed by representatives of the participating agencies, OSTP, and OMB. It also includes other Federal agencies that do not fund nanotechnology R&D but nevertheless have an interest in these technologies—agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of the Treasury. There are now 17 agencies participating in the NSET Subcommittee. NSET members meet on a monthly basis to measure progress, set priorities, keep abreast of nanotechnology R&D being proposed and conducted in the agencies, plan and organize workshops, and plan for the coming year. The agency representatives to the NSET, typically program officers, and researchers, have extensive knowledge of and experience with nanoscale R&D. This expertise has been of critical importance to the success of the initiative, providing a necessary link to nanotechnology researchers in industry and academia.
Because the cost of nanotechnology instrumentation, equipment and facilities is rather high, government funding of such research infrastructure can provide a great benefit to both academic and industrial research. An important focus of the NNI, for instance, is to develop measurements and standards, research instrumentation, modeling and simulation capabilities, and R&D user facilities. Current examples of how this type of funding is used are the National Nanofabrication Users Network (NNUN), the modeling and simulation Network for Computational Nanotechnology sponsored by NSF, and a group of five user-facility Nanoscale Science Research Centers being created by DOE.
The need for this type of infrastructure is so great that Federal agencies are committing additional resources to support the NNI’s efforts. These include a dedicated nanoscience facility at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and portions of the new Advanced Measurement Laboratory at the NIST.
The National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO) assists NSET-participating agencies by: (1) serving as secretariat to the NSET Subcommittee, providing technical and administrative support, (2) supporting the NSET Subcommittee in the preparation of multi-agency planning, budget, and assessment documents, (3) acting as the point of contact on Federal Nanotechnology activities for government organizations, academia, industry, professional societies, foreign organizations, and others for technical and programmatic information, and (4) developing and making available printed and other communications materials concerning the National Nanotechnology Initiative including maintaining a Web site for the Initiative. As part of this support, the NNCO produces annual supplements to the President’s budget request explaining the NNI portion of the budget request. It also coordinates and assists in the conduct of regular workshops based on grand challenge areas. The NNCO assists and coordinates the conduct of regional workshops that explore commercialization opportunities for nanotechnology discoveries. These conferences bring together scientists, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and large businesses for discussion and exploration of partnerships. Reports produced by the NNCO provide a permanent record of conference proceedings and are used by those not in attendance to learn more about developments in the field. Under the auspices of the NSTC, the NNCO also contracts for periodic program reviews to provide feedback on the NNI.
The annual budget of the NNCO is approximately $1 million. Three years ago, the NSET subcommittee and NNCO coordinated the efforts of six agencies involved in nanotechnology R&D. Today, through the NNI, the NSET and NNCO coordinate the efforts of 17 participating agencies. The scale of the workload for the NNCO parallels this increase in participating agencies. The NNCO staff is coordinating a increasing stream of workshops proposed by the agencies, and prepares the post-conference reports. Planning and administrative functions have expanded, as will reporting requirements resulting from the pending legislation.
With an increased number of discoveries and acceleration of commercialization activities here and abroad, staff tracking and reporting to the scientific community and government agencies must keep pace. Increased activity at the state and regional levels has brought welcome support for commercialization and another level of involvement for the NNCO.
Current high-priority NNCO projects include the following:
a) NNCO is working with OSTP and OMB to finalize a supplement to the President’s FY 2004 budget request to explain the NNI portion of the budget request.
b) NNCO will follow this with a more detailed report this coming summer, the revised Implementation Plan for the NNI. This will be an update of a similar detailed plan that was submitted in July of 2000.
c) An interagency workshop being led by the Environmental Protection Agency will address environmental implications as well as applications of nanotechnology. The purpose of this September workshop is to define the future research agenda for EPA and other agencies in the NNI that support nanotechnology research aimed to enhance environmental quality through pollution detection, prevention, treatment, and remediation.
d) The National Institutes of Health is taking the lead in organizing a workshop to explore opportunities for supporting more research at the intersection of nanotechnology and biology, as recommended in the NRC report. This is tentatively scheduled for October.
e) Another workshop scheduled for September will facilitate collaboration and best practices among state and regional initiatives.
f) NNI and the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) are organizing a workshop this fall on nanoelectronics.
g) A workshop is tentatively scheduled for this December to assess broader societal implications, including ethical, economic, education/workforce, medical, and national security implications. This is follow-on to a workshop held in September 2000 on these same subjects.
h) A project is underway to produce a brochure for industry, explaining the state of nanotechnology, R&D opportunities, and resources toward commercialization of nanotechnology discoveries.
i) Following from all the above activities, NNCO will be coordinating a large workshop in early 2004 to integrate inputs from all the grand challenge workshops, PCAST suggestions, new legislation, and recommendations of the NRC report and produce a new “crisp, compelling plan” for the NNI. This will be a reprise and 5-year update of the January 1999 workshop that produced the first detailed technical plan, the report entitled, Nanotechnology Research Directions.
Recognizing the growing complexity of this multi-agency effort, OSTP asked me to begin serving on April 15 of this year as the full-time Director of NNCO. (In the past, Dr. James Murday had served as the Director of the NNCO in a half-time capacity.) Among my specific charges are increasing communications between the OSTP, NNCO and the NSET; promoting a higher level of coordination of nanotechnology R&D among the Departments and agencies participating in the NSET; and providing an increased level of support for the NSET Subcommittee in preparation of planning, budgeting, and assessment documents. Recognizing the increasing need for public outreach for greater understanding of nanotechnology and its societal implications, the NNCO has hired a full-time communications director and will be undertaking an array of communication tasks, including enhancing the NNI Web Site.
Relevant to the legislation before the committee is the report of the National Research Council (NRC) following their study of the NNI. Entitled Small Wonders, Endless Frontiers: A Review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative, the report, published in the summer of 2002, highlighted the strong leadership of the NNI, praised the degree of interagency collaboration, and lauded the early successes of the research programs.
As you know, the National Research Council (NRC) recommended that the federal nanotechnology research program would benefit from an outside review. As noted in the President’s FY 04 budget submission, the Administration concurs that an independent review is warranted, and has asked the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) to undertake this effort.
PCAST has already begun its work in this regard, and the NCCO staff is excited to be working with the PCAST membership on this task. PCAST is well suited to conduct this review, as its members have extensive experience and expertise in technological developments, how Federal R&D programs operate, and how R&D effectively translates to the economy. This type of broad experience offers perspectives on how nanotechnology can address key issues facing industries today (e.g., the "red brick wall" referred to in the recent "International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors" report).
The preliminary PCAST work plan for its role in advising the NNI, approved at the March 3 PCAST meeting, sets out as one of its first tasks the review and assessment of the NNI's "grand challenges" -- the 9 areas where nanotechnology can make significant contributions to national goals and priorities outlined in the current NNI program plan. The industrial backgrounds of many PCAST members are particularly appropriate to this role, providing a broader perspective beyond laboratory research.
PCAST also offers the benefits of timeliness and effectiveness. PCAST already exists, and has already begun its nanotechnology work with the intent on providing some initial guidance by late summer to factor into the FY05 budget process. Importantly, too, PCAST is an established and well-regarded entity within the Administration. Its advice will be well received.
The PCAST review of the NNI will be an ongoing project that provides continuing recommendations to the President on how to improve the program. PCAST will work in coordination with the National Science and Technology Council, as well as the NNCO. PCAST’s initial effort will be assisting in the development of a crisp, compelling and overarching strategic plan, and refining the list of specific "grand challenge” topics to guide the NNI program. NSET and NNCO are working with OSTP already in organizing a series of workshops aimed at setting specific objectives within those grand challenge topics and clarifying the research agendas for NSET member agencies that will lead to the achievement of those objectives. PCAST then intends to explore additional issues, such as program metrics, and also to monitor the response to the guidance it provides.
To assist in these activities, PCAST has formed three internal task forces – one on materials, electronics and photonics, one on energy and the environment, and one on medical, bio and social issues. In addition, PCAST is forming an external technical task force to gain input on technical nanotechnology issues as may be needed. Additional consultations will naturally occur as well. At its March 3rd meeting, for example, PCAST met with three leading nanotechnology scientists – Richard Smalley, Richard Siegel, and Samuel Stupp (who led the NRC review). PCAST co-Chair Floyd Kvamme also met with the NSET members at NSETs last meeting in early April and I, as the new NNCO coordinator, have already met with Mr. Kvamme as well.
The NNCO is pleased to have PCAST’s experience available for counsel, and looks forward to working with PCAST in the months and years to come.
In another structural change, the OSTP has proposed that the NSET Subcommittee be re-constituted with higher-level agency membership to enable enhanced coordination and priority setting. We at the NNCO recognize the importance of high-level agency involvement in the NNI. For the active support of planning and conducting workshops and generally tracking technological innovations, we will rely on the current membership of the NSET, which under the OSTP plan would be re-formulated as an interagency working group. The members’ extensive knowledge of and experience with nanoscale R&D has been and will continue to be of critical importance to the success of the initiative, providing a necessary link to nanotechnology
researchers in industry and academia.
In summary, nanotechnology is still at a very early stage of development, and there are many challenges and opportunities before us. The NNI has for almost five years now served as a very effective means for coordinating Federally funded activities in nanotechnology. As this initiative matures and grows in scope and scale, the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office is also scaling up to meet the additional responsibilities that this entails. We greatly appreciate the endorsement of the NNI’s achievements and future potential implicit in the language of the proposed 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act.
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, thank you again for your support. The NSET, NNCO staff, and I look forward to continuing to work with you and your staff to refine and improve the program and the legislation currently under consideration.