The US National Nanotechnology Initiative promotes nanoscience developments with participation from various federal agencies. Nanoscience studies materials with dimensions between 1 and 100 nanometers, and nanotechnology has potential economic growth. The initiative includes the Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology Subcommittee and the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office. Ongoing developments include water-repellent fabrics, carbon nanotubes for lightning protection, and lighter metals for fuel savings.
The National Nanotechnology Initiative is a US government effort to promote developments in the nanosciences. A number of federal agencies participate in the National Nanotechnology Initiative, including the Department of Education, Department of Defense, Department of Labor, Department of Transportation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Science Foundation , the International Trade Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency.
The term nanoscience refers to the study of materials with nanoscale dimensions between 1 and 100 nanometers (nm). A nanometer-sized particle is smaller than a single living cell and visible only using the most powerful microscope on the market today. If you’re visually impaired with something this small, consider that a sheet of paper measures about 100,000 nanometers thick.
Nanoscale materials can be found in everything from volcanic ash to sea spray. By duplicating the structure of lotus leaves, nanotechnology scientists have already succeeded in creating water-repellent fabrics for stain-resistant clothing. Other ongoing developments include carbon nanotubes to protect airplanes from lightning strikes and efforts to replace steel in new cars with a lighter metal that would result in significant fuel savings.
The federal government believes that the potential of nanotechnology to promote economic growth should make research and development of nanoscience projects a top priority. Although efforts to coordinate federal nanoscience research began in 1996, it was not until 2001 that the Clinton administration elevated the work to the level of a federal initiative. Previously known as the Interagency Working Group on Nanotechnology (IWGN) under the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), nanoscience research officially became known as the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) at this time.
The Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology (NSET) Subcommittee, a component of the NSTC Committee on Technology, is an important part of the National Nanotechnology Initiative. This group is made up of high-level representatives from federal government research and development agencies and is responsible for providing policy leadership and budgetary guidance for activities that are part of the National Nanotechnology Initiative. The National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO) works to provide administrative and technical support to the members of this group and is the official point of contact for industry, professional societies, academia, foreign organizations and others interested in the nanotechnology research.
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