After a long wait, the US National Nanotechnology Initiative’s
strategy for nanotechnology-related environmental, health and safety research was finally published last week (
pdf file, 2.2 MB).
If you want to know what I think of it, I’m afraid you will have to wait until the
National Academies Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology (BEST) review is completed next year.
But if you cannot wait that long for some insight into what the strategy does and doesn’t cover, a good starting point is Richard Dennison’s
inaugural entry on the newly-launched Environmental Defense blog
“Nanotechnology Notes”. Richard’s take in a nutshell: “It’s got good, bad and ugly.”
And of course, there are the
observations of my colleagues back at the
Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, who are concerned with inflated funding numbers, a lack of overarching strategy and limited worker exposure research*.
The one thing I will say of the strategy is that it uses some rather fancy graphics when depicting shifting research priorities—somewhat reminiscent of those used in another
strategic research plan released a couple of years ago. Now what is it they say about imitation and flattery…?
__________________________________
*As a totally tangential aside, if you haven’t checked out the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies
website recently, now would be a good time. Not only has the site been redesigned from the bottom up to be sleeker, cleaner and all-round better, but you still have the chance to win a coveted iPod nano by entering the
“Nano IQ” quiz. Good luck!