Responsible Development, Social Science, and the National Nanotechnology Initiative: A Workshop to Explore Past and Future Intersections
Since its inception, the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) has emphasized the importance of responsible development, and social scientists have played important roles in the interdisciplinary research that supports fundamental and applied research in nanotechnology. Following this tradition, the NNI and the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO) convened a workshop to bring together federal experts in nanotechnology with social scientists with expertise on specific tools and frameworks relevant to the responsible development of emerging technologies. The agenda included a presentation about the recently released “Blueprint for the Use of Social and Behavioral Science to Advance Evidence-Based Policymaking,” introductions to key nanotechnology case studies by federal experts, and flash talks by social scientists. The meeting promoted brainstorming new intersections between social science and nanotechnology R&D with the goals of i) integrating social science into future visions of interdisciplinary research, development, and training, and ii) reinvigorating networks that connect the NNI to the social science community.
Workshop Summary
Agenda:
July 24, 2024
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET
Online and in-person, Washington, D.C.
| Time (ET) | Session |
|---|---|
| 9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. | Welcome and introductions |
| 9:30 a.m. – 9:55 a.m. | Presentation: “Blueprint for the Use of Social and Behavioral Science to Advance Evidence-Based Policymaking” – Kei Koizumi, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy |
| 9:55 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. | Presentation: “Ripples of the NNI: How Nanotechnology Inspired Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) Policy in the European Union” – Clare Shelley-Egan, TU Delft, the Netherlands |
| 10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Break |
| 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Social Science Flash Talks (10 mins each) |
| 12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. | Lunch |
| 12:45 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. | Social Science Flash Talks (10 mins each) |
| 1:30 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. | Nanotechnology Case Studies – Introductions by NSET agency representatives |
| 2:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Break |
| 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Small-group discussions (rotating among case studies) [Note: this portion of the agenda unavailable to online participants] |
| 4:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. | Break |
| 4:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Report Out and Discussion |
| 5:00 p.m. | Closing and Next Steps |
Expert Participants:
| Name | Affiliation | Flash Talk Title |
|---|---|---|
| Briñas, Raymond | FDA, Office of Food Additive Safety | |
| Brough, Branden | NNCO, Director | |
| Chen, Hongda | USDA/NIFA | |
| Chen, Jermont | NIH/NIBIB, Division of Discovery Science and Technology | |
| Daemmrich, Arthur | Consortium for Science, Policy, and Outcomes (ASU) | Chemical Risk, Testing, and Regulatory Cultures |
| Delborne, Jason | NNCO, AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow | |
| Evans, Sam Weiss | National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology | Making Science More Responsive to Society: Lessons from Experiments in Governance |
| Ghilani, Jessica |
University of Pittsburgh Disinformation Lab |
Science Communication, Misinformation, and Trust |
| Grieger, Khara | North Carolina State University | Online, Stakeholder Engagement |
| Haes, Amanda | DOE/Basic Energy Sciences | |
| Hartley, Sarah | University of Exeter (UK) | Stakeholder Engagement and Risk Assessment |
| Morales, Carolina Salvador | NIH/NCI, Nanodelivery Systems and Devices | |
| Nelson, John P. | Georgia Institute of Technology | Public Values Mapping & Science Policy Assessment |
| Palmer, Megan | Gingko Bioworks | Engineering Biology at Social Scales |
| Spadola, Quinn | NNCO, Deputy Director | |
| Shelley-Egan, Clare | Delft University of Technology | Interrogating Integration: Formulating a Quantum and Society Approach |
| Tomblin, David | University of Maryland | Participatory Technology Assessment: An Alternative Public Input |
| Udu-gama, Natasha | American Geophysical Union – Thriving Earth Exchange | Community Science |
| Vietas, Jay | NIOSH/Nanotechnology Research Center | |
| Zhernenkov, Misha | DOE/Basic Energy Sciences |
For further information, contact:
Jason Delborne AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow, NNCO
