Tag Archives: US 2016 National Nanotechnology Initiative Strategic Plan

US government’s 2016 National Nanotechnology Initiative strategic plan released

Another year, another US National Nanotechnology Initiative Strategic Plan, from a Nov. 8, 2016 news item on Nanowerk,

The [US] National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO) is pleased to announce the release of the new [US 2016] National Nanotechnology Initiative Strategic Plan. Under the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act of 2003, NNI agencies are required to develop an updated NNI Strategic Plan every three years.

The NNI, a collaboration of twenty Federal agencies and departments, has enabled groundbreaking discoveries that have revolutionized science; established world-class facilities for the characterization of nanoscale materials and their fabrication into nanoscale devices; educated tens of thousands of individuals from undergraduate students to postdoctoral researchers; and fostered the responsible incorporation of nanotechnology into commercial products.

A Nov. 1, 2016 NNCO news release, which originated the news item, provides more information,

NNI investments together with those of industry have transitioned nanotechnology discoveries into a variety of commercial products including apparel, consumer electronics, sporting goods, and automobiles. Nanotechnology is poised to revolutionize the way we diagnose and treat disease, improve our health and fitness, and enable human exploration of Mars. Looking toward the future, nanotechnology is moving from a fundamental research area to an enabling technology that can lead to new materials, devices, and systems that will profoundly impact our quality of life, economy, and national security. The strong collaborations built under the NNI will be critical in sustaining an ecosystem that invests in the next breakthroughs in nanoscale materials and devices but also promotes the effective and responsible transition of nanotechnology discoveries from lab to market.

This strategic plan builds upon the collaborations and prior accomplishments of the NNI to develop and nurture that ecosystem and to move the NNI into its next phase. This document represents a consensus among NNI agencies on the high-level goals and priorities of the initiative and on specific objectives to be pursued over at least the next three years. The plan provides the framework under which individual agencies conduct their own mission-specific nanotechnology programs, coordinate these activities with those of other NNI agencies, and collaborate.

You can find the report and other related materials on the 2016 Strategic NNI Plan webpage (on the NNI website) or you can to directly to the 2016 Strategic NNI Plan (PDF 66pp.).