The National Nanotechnology Initiative Approach to Environment, Health, and Safety: A Model for Future Science Investments

Abstract

This article discusses the very recent story about the new science of nanotechnology and the careful and clear-headed efforts to regulate it. Nanotechnology offers great promise in numerous applications, including national security, but can also raise far-reaching health and environmental concerns. This story of incremental discussions and debates on the regulatory guidelines for the new technology, informed largely by Dr. Karn’s experience at the center of those discussions, offers a good look behind the scenes at modern science policy development in government. We learn of the government’s essential legal and financial roles, but also much about the interaction between concerned scientists, the National Institutes of Health, and the White House. In this case, that collaboration was a success.

Keywords

• nanotechnology
• NIH
• NSF
• environmental health