Tag Archives: American National Standards Institute’s Nanotechnology Standards Panel

Nanotechnology Standards Database updated by American National Standards Institute

The Nanotechnology Standards Database announced in July 2013 has been updated according to a July 10, 2014 announcement. A brief review of the original project seems in order before any discussion of the updates. From my July 30, 2013 posting,

The ANSI-NSP (American National Standards Institute Nanotechnology Standards Panel) Nanotechnology Standards Database announced in a July 30, 2013 news item on Nanowerk is in the early stages,

The American National Standards Institute Nanotechnology Standards Panel (ANSI-NSP) is pleased to announce the launch of a new database compiling information about nanotechnology-related standards and affiliated activities. The creation of the database, which was first discussed during a February 2013 meeting of the ANSI-NSP in Washington, DC, is part of a larger ongoing effort by the ANSI-NSP and its members and partners to bolster the visibility of existing and in-development nanomaterials and nanotechnology guidance documents, reference materials, and standards.

Note: this NSP Standards Database is not for uploading or collecting the standards or documents themselves, but rather seeking relevant information regarding such documents. If you wish to provide a link for users to access specific documents or standards, a form field has been provided.

Here’s what ANSI-NSP has done to update its Nanotechnology Standards Database this year. From the July 10, 2014 ANSI-NSP announcement,

The new updates to the database include the creation of a single data entry form designed to allow standards developers and other organizations to more easily enter information. This change allows for a straightforward transition for those documents included in the database that change status from unpublished to published. In addition, the database has added a government-focused section, allowing representatives of governmental bodies to post policy and position documents that could be of interest to the greater nanotechnology community.

The announcement also includes a call for more submissions,

To continue growing the database and optimize it for the needs of the user community, ANSI-NSP encourages SDOs (standards developing organizations), government bodies, and other relevant organizations to contribute information about their current and in-progress documents and standards. Organizations are required to register for free on the database site before submitting their information, to ensure relevancy and accuracy. The database includes information from a wide range of organizations from around the world that develop standards and other similar documents, and is accessible to a global audience of individuals and groups interested in learning more about nanotechnology standardization.

You can follow links to the database and other relevant sites from the Nanotechnology Standards Database landing page on the ANSI website.

Nanotechnology Standards Database announced by American National Standards Institute

The ANSI-NSP (American National Standards Institute Nanotechnology Standards Panel) Nanotechnology Standards Database announced in a July 30, 2013 news item on Nanowerk is in the early stages,

The American National Standards Institute Nanotechnology Standards Panel (ANSI-NSP) is pleased to announce the launch of a new database compiling information about nanotechnology-related standards and affiliated activities. The creation of the database, which was first discussed during a February 2013 meeting of the ANSI-NSP in Washington, DC, is part of a larger ongoing effort by the ANSI-NSP and its members and partners to bolster the visibility of existing and in-development nanomaterials and nanotechnology guidance documents, reference materials, and standards.

“Standards have a significant impact when they are broadly used. This database will be a valuable tool that can enable information sharing and raise awareness about available standards or those under development and can play an important role in furthering the responsible development and commercialization of nanotechnology,” said ANSI-NSP co-chair Ajit Jilavenkatesa, Ph.D., senior standards policy advisor at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) of the U.S. Department of Commerce (DoC).

I have visited the ANSI-NSP Nanotechnology Standards Database website and found a few entries for both published and unpublished documents already populating it. This database does not host the documents themselves as per the entry form for published documents,

This form is intended to capture information on those published documents (i.e., standards, guidelines, and regulations) that relate to nanotechnology and nanotechnology-related applications.

Note: this NSP Standards Database is not for uploading or collecting the standards or documents themselves, but rather seeking relevant information regarding such documents. If you wish to provide a link for users to access specific documents or standards, a form field has been provided.

The NSP Standards Database will play a key role in assessing the current nanotechnology standardization landscape and help identify potential gaps in recognized standards needs. We thank you for contributing to the success of this initiative.

This looks to be a voluntary and international effort (some ISO documents are listed). It’s not clear if there is going to be any oversight, e.g., checking that the data in the entry form is correct, updating entries over time, etc.

Here’s a little more about the NSP (which hints at why they’d be interested in developing and hosting this database),

The American National Standards Institute’s Nanotechnology Standards Panel (ANSI-NSP) serves as the cross-sector coordinating body for the purposes of facilitating the development of standards in the area of nanotechnology including, but not limited to, nomenclature/terminology; health, safety and environmental aspects; materials properties; and testing, measurement and characterization procedures.

I wish them good luck with their effort. If this database works as hoped it could be a very useful tool.