Report to the President and Congress on the Third Assessment of the National Nanotechnology Initiative

The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) is the U.S. Government's crosscutting program that coordinates Federal research and development (R&D) activities in nanoscale science, engineering, technology, and related efforts among various participating agencies. The Federal Government launched the NNI in FY 2001 with an initial $500 million budget to accelerate the development of nanotechnology. Over the ensuing 10 years, with cumulative Federal spending of $12 billion, the NNI has played a key role in positioning the United States as the world leader in both nanotechnology R&D and commercialization. The NNI has also catalyzed State activities that leverage Federal investments with a focus on economic growth and job creation. Indeed, nanotechnology appears slated to become an important contributor to the economic growth of the United States over the coming decade and beyond. The 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act of 2003 (Public Law 108-153) calls for a National Nanotechnology Advisory Panel (NNAP) to periodically review the Federal nanotechnology R&D program, that is, to review the NNI. The President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology is designated by Executive Order to serve as the NNAP. PCAST's first review of the NNI was issued in 2005, the second in 2008. In this report, PCAST, serving in its role as the NNAP, assessed the effectiveness of the NNI over the past two years and since its inception. PCAST's observations, conclusions, and recommendations presented in this report are based on the analysis of its 2010 NNI Working Group, consisting of 3 PCAST members and 12 additional nongovernmental experts in nanotechnology. The Working Group's deliberations were informed by discussions with government officials, industry leaders, and technical experts from the wide range of fields affected by nanotechnology. Before beginning its review, the Working Group co-chairs received input from the other members of PCAST, relevant Congressional committee staff, and staff from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the National Research Council (NRC), and OSTP. Based on that input, the Working Group decided that there were three overarching categories that would prove most useful for assessing NNI performance and for arriving at valuable and actionable recommendations to ensure that NNI can succeed in the many roles it has to play. Those categories are: (1) Program Management--An appraisal of how well NNI leadership has performed with respect to the roles it has been tasked to carry out; (2) Nanotechnology Outcomes--An analysis of what the Federal nanotechnology investment has delivered and recommendations to enhance the outcomes, especially economic outcomes; (3) Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS)--An assessment of NNI's performance in helping to orchestrate the identification and management of potential risks associated with nanotechnology, with particular attention paid to reviewing progress the NNI has made in following through on recommendations made in the 2008 NNAP review of the NNI. Because 2010 marks the tenth anniversary of the NNI, the panel decided it would be appropriate to conclude with a forward-looking chapter that discusses how nanotechnology might contribute to important societal needs and goals in the coming years. Appendices include: (1) Statement of Task; (2) Contributors to the Development of the Statement of Task; (3) Experts Providing Input to the Working Group Review of the NNI; (4) Study Design--Review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative; (5) Federal Agencies Participating in the NNI; and (6) List of Acronyms. (Contains 11 figures and 39 footnotes.)