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On June 13-14, 2017, a “Nanosensor Manufacturing Workshop:  Finding Better Paths to Products” will be held at the National Science Foundation in Arlington, Virginia.  The Workshop supports the goals of the National Nanotechnology Initiative’s (NNI) Nanotechnology Signature Initiative, “Nanotechnology for Sensors and Sensors for Nanotechnology.”  According to NNI, the Workshop will identify key elements needed to achieve production-scale manufacturing of nanotechnology-enabled...

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) prepared a March 14, 2017, report entitled Science and Technology Issues in the 115th Congress.  The report outlines science and technology policy issues that may come before the 115th Congress.  The report notes that, given the rapid pace of science and technology advancement and its importance in many diverse public policy issues, issues not discussed in this report may come before Congress.  The selected issues are grouped into nine...

The National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO) periodically holds webinars to share information with the general public and the nanotechnology research and development community.  Upcoming webinars include the following: On January 18, 2017, the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) will hold a webinar on “Water Sustainability through Nanotechnology: Enabling Next-Generation Water Monitoring Systems.” In this webinar, panelists will discuss the current state of and...

The American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (S. 3084) would amend the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15 U.S.C. § 7501 et seq.) to change the frequency of National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) reports.  The strategic plan would be released every five instead of every three years, and the triennial review would be renamed the quadrennial review and be prepared every four years instead of every three.  The evaluation of the NNI, which is submitted...

On November 30, 2016, the White House published a blog item, “President Obama’s Top Ten Actions to Accelerate American Entrepreneurship,” and posted a fact sheet on President Obama’s entrepreneurship accomplishments.  The tenth action is “Unleashed entrepreneurship in the industries of the future, including clean energy, biotechnology, the commercial space industry, nanotechnology, drones, robotics, advanced manufacturing, and more.”  The fact sheet lists several...

Registration is now open for a December 7, 2016, National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) webinar, “Water Sustainability through Nanotechnology:  Increasing Water Availability.”  NNI states that water demand in the U.S. is projected to increase over the next several decades.  In addition to increased demand, many U.S. aquifers are being depleted at unsustainable rates, which may lead to increased challenges in locating usable water sources in the future.  During...

On November 1, 2016, the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO) announced the release of the 2016 National Nanotechnology Initiative Strategic Plan.  The 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act of 2003 requires National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) agencies to develop an updated Strategic Plan every three years.  The 2016 Strategic Plan represents a consensus among the NNI agencies on the high-level goals and priorities of the NNI and on specific...

On September 13, 2016, the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) announced in the Federal Register the availability of the draft 2016 NNI Strategic Plan for public comment.  The NNI Strategic Plan represents a consensus among NNI agencies on the high-level goals and priorities of the NNI, and on specific objectives to be pursued over at least the next three years.  The NNI Strategic Plan provides the framework under which individual NNI agencies conduct their own...

In early September 2016, the National Academies published a prepublication version of the Triennial Review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative.  The National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO) asked the National Research Council (NRC) to conduct a triennial review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI).  In particular, the NRC was asked to assess:  (1) mechanisms to advance focused areas of nanotechnology toward advanced development and commercialization; and (2) the...

The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) posted on April 11, 2016, a blog item, authored by Lloyd Whitman, OSTP, and Dr. Treye Thomas, Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), entitled “Supporting Responsible Development of Nanotechnology.”  The item states that the following reports released in March 2016 highlight federal investments and activities in the area of nanotechnology environmental, health, and safety (nanoEHS) research, progress, and needs in understanding...