The World Technology Evaluation Center, as requested the US National Science Foundation (NSF), conducted a study, Nanotechnology Long-term Impacts and Research Directions: 2000-2020, that will be released in a webcast workshop, 8 am EDT (a little early for us Westcoasters) on Sept. 30, 2010. From the NSF news release,

At the behest of the National Science Foundation (NSF), the World Technology Evaluation Center, Inc. (WTEC) conducted an international study involving 200 leading experts from 35 countries that synthesized progress in nanotechnology over the last decade as well as future directions for nanotech.

If you want to attend the webcast workshop in realtime (or view it later), you can go here. You do have to register for the live workshop, I’m not sure whether access to the archived version (it will be available for one year afterwards) requires registration.

There’s also a nanoinformatics workshop being offered in November this year. From the Sept. 27, 2010 posting on ICON (International Council on Nanotechnology) blog,

Nanoinformatics is a name being applied to informatics as it relates to the data, systems and people engaged in nanotechnology research and development. To bring some cohesion to the nanotechnology researchers, informatics experts, government policy makers and other stakeholders potentially affected by nanoinformatics, a collaborative roadmapping workshop is being held this November in the Washington, DC area.

Here’s a description of the roadmapping workshop (from the website),

Nanoinformatics 2010 is designed to survey the landscape, generate a roadmap, and stimulate collaborative activities in the area of nanoinformatics. By doing so, it will accelerate the responsible development and use of nanotechnology. Workshop themes include:

* Data Collection and Curation

* Tools for Innovation, Analysis, and Simulation

* Data Accessibility and Information Sharing

I hope these projects as well as the US nano strategy portal (more about that in my July 19, 2010 posting) which solicits public consultation responses to questions posed by the National Nanotechnology Initiative provide hoped for solutions and partnerships.