NANO: U.S. Federal Nanotechnology Research Initiative?

From: The Baileys (nanotech@cwix.com)
Date: Sun Mar 21 1999 - 17:12:25 MST


The February 11, 1999 issue of the _Federal Technology Report_ had a piece
by Neil MacDonald titled "Nanotechnology May Be Target for New Federal
Research Push". Evidently, federal r&d officials are discussing the
possibility of organizing a national nanotechnology research iniative,
similar to the Information Technology Initiative for the 21st Century (IT2)
that was announced last month by Al Gore. IT2 has some fiscal reality to it
since it was included in the 2000 federal budget request submitted by
Clinton this year.

Nanotechnology and nanoscience in general seems to be reaching a new level
of visibility within the federal r&d environment. In January of this year,
the NSF held a "Vision for Nanotechnology R&D in the Next Decade" workshop.
It was revealed at that workshop that the DOE, NIH, NSF and NASA are
considering coordinated nanotechnology research initiatives.

Any nanotechnology research initiative wouldn't be included in the 2000
budget may have a realistic chance of making it into the 2001 budget.
Thomas Kalil, a senior director for economic policy at the White House
Economic Council issued, in MacDonald's words, a "clarion call" for a
nationa nanotechnology research initiative. If Al Gore becomes President we
should be virtually assured of having a nanotechnology research iniative by
2002 at the latest. Gore, as Senator, held the first congressional hearings
on nanotechnology in 1992.

Doug Bailey
doug.bailey@ey.com
nanotech@cwix.com



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