The United States is the world leader in nanotechnology, but international competitors are aggressively developing their own programs in this area, according to an assessment released May 18 by President Bush’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).
The report, described in a press release from the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), assessed the multi-agency National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) and its work in coordinating the federal nanotechnology research enterprise.
The NNI organizes federal nanotechnology research and establishes a strong national research infrastructure across 23 federal agencies, each with its own distinct mission.
Nanotechnology is the science and technology of building electronic circuits and devices from single atoms and molecules. Nanotechnology deals with devices typically smaller than 100 nanometers (a nanometer is one billionth of a meter) and is expected to make a significant contribution to computer storage, semiconductors, biotechnology, manufacturing and energy.
“This report is a thoughtful and highly informative assessment on the current status of the United States’ research programs for nanotechnology,” said OSTP Director John Marburger, science adviser to President Bush.
According to the report, The National Nanotechnology Initiative at Five Years: Assessment and Recommendations of the National Nanotechnology Advisory Panel, the approximately $1 billion the federal government will spend on nanotechnology research and development this fiscal year is roughly one-quarter of the current public-sector investments by all nations.
Total annual U.S. research and development spending (federal, state and private) is about $3 billion, or one-third of the estimated $9 billion in total worldwide spending by the public and private sectors combined.
The United States also leads in the number of start-up companies based on nanotechnology, and in research output as measured by patents and publications.
The report found that the NNI recognizes that the societal implications of nanotechnology -- including potential environmental and health effects -- must be taken into account and is moving deliberately to identify, prioritize and address such concerns.
In the fiscal year 2006 budget, $82 million (8 percent of the total NNI budget) will be dedicated to addressing these issues.
The report is based in part on input from a technical advisory group of nanotechnology experts representing diverse disciplines in government, industry and academia. PCAST also convened panels of experts to discuss advances and opportunities in science and technology and potential environmental, health, and safety implications of nanotechnology.
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