I www.vincentcaprio.org and the NanoBusiness Alliance have returned from our 9th Annual Washington DC Roundtable Event. We had the opportunity to meet with Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) http://www.vincentcaprio.org/nanobusiness-alliance-dc-roundtable-march-15-17th and Mark Pryor (D-AR) to discuss Nanotechnology legislation. While DC debated the state of Healthcare Reform, one issue that Democrats and Republicans agree on is U.S. funding of Nanotechnology R&D http://www.nano.gov/NNI_2011_budget_supplement.pdf.

We hear that President Obama was impressed with the nanotechnology information during a March 12th meeting ( http://bit.ly/c59hZ5 ) with his Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Thanks to all the NanoBusiness Alliance members who contributed products!

Earlier that day, PCAST discussed the progress of the National Nanotechnology Initiative. In a highly favorable overall report, they recommended five steps for strengthening the initiative in order to maintain U.S. leadership in nanotechnology research:

1. Increase NNI funding for nanomanufacturing research while maintaining support for basic research
2. Strengthen the NNCO, the NNI coordinating entity, with additional funds, and a broader mandate
3. Require that metrics be developed to track benefits of nanotechnology, such as job creation
4. Develop a cross agency strategy plan that links environment, health, and safety research with knowledge gaps and decision-making needs
5. Expedite the citizenship review process for those receiving advanced degrees in science and engineering

The full NNI review, prepared by a working group of three PCAST members joined by a dozen expert advisors, is slated for release on March 25th through the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ostp). The report with summary recommendations, including a list of the PCAST NNI Working Group members, is online at http://bit.ly/d4z4hk .

Since I just returned from DC, I will present my analysis of our DC Event next week. I would like to thank all the members of our Nanotechnology Community who took the time from their busy schedules to participate.

Regards,

Vincent Caprio “It’s Green, It’s Clean, It’s Never Seen – That’s Nanotechnology”
www.vincentcaprio.org
Executive Director
NanoBusiness Alliance
203-733-1949
vincentcaprio@nynanobusiness.org

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