The National 

Nanotechnology Initiative

Research and Development Leading to a 

Revolution in Technology and Industry

Supplement to the President’s FY 2012 Budget
About the National Science and Technology Council

The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) was established by Executive Order on November 23, 1993. The Cabinet-level 

council is the principal means by which the President coordinates science, space, and technology policies across the Federal Government. 

The NSTC coordinates the diverse parts of the Federal research and development enterprise. An important objective of the NSTC is the 

establishment of clear national goals for Federal science and technology investments in areas ranging from nanotechnology and health 

research to improving transportation systems and strengthening fundamental research. The Council prepares research and development 

strategies that are coordinated across Federal agencies to form a comprehensive investment package aimed at accomplishing multiple 

national goals. To obtain additional information regarding the NSTC, visit the NSTC website at http://www.ostp.gov/cs/nstc.

About the Office of Science and Technology Policy

The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) was established by the National Science and Technology Policy, Organization, and 

Priorities Act of 1976. OSTP’s responsibilities include advising the President in policy formulation and budget development on all 

questions in which science and technology (S&T) are important elements; articulating the President’s S&T policies and programs; and 

fostering strong partnerships among Federal, state, and local governments, and the scientific communities in industry and academia. The 

Director of OSTP also serves as Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and manages the NSTC for the President. For 

additional information regarding OSTP, visit the OSTP website at http://www.ostp.gov/.

About this document

This document is a supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget Request submitted to Congress on February 14, 2011. It gives a description 

of the activities underway in 2010 and 2011 and planned for 2012 by the Federal Government agencies participating in the National 

Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), primarily from a programmatic and budgetary perspective. It is based on the NNI Strategic Plan released 

in February 2011 and reports actual investments for 2010, estimated investments for 2011 and requested investments for 2012 by program 

component area (PCA), as called for under the provisions of the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (Public 

Law 108-153). Additional information regarding the NNI is available on the NNI website at http://www.nano.gov/.

About the cover

Background image: Graphene is a state of carbon that produces a hexagonal, honeycombed-like lattice in two dimensions, but is only one 

atom thick in the third dimension. Generated using a cryogenic scanning tunneling microscope, this background is a topographic image of a 

multilayer epitaxial graphene sample grown on silicon carbide (SiC). In addition to their unique property of being only one atomic layer 

thick, such graphene lattices have very interesting physical properties, in this case possessing unique electronic structure and a half-integer 

quantum Hall effect. The background image shows a section about 5 nm by 5 nm in actual extent. This research was performed by a team 

from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Georgia Tech, the University of Maryland, and the University of Texas at Austin, 

and was funded by the National Science Foundation, the Semiconductor Research Corporation’s Nanotechnology Research Initiative, and 

the Keck Foundation (courtesy of Joseph Stroscio, NIST).

Central image: Two-inch-diameter wafer of graphene transistors on an SiC substrate. The graphene was grown at a government laboratory 

(Naval Research Laboratory), the devices were fabricated at an industrial laboratory (Hughes Research Laboratory),and the collaboration 

was funded and administered by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. This collaboration has fabricated large numbers of these 

transistors across full wafers (as shown in the photograph). These graphene transistors have critical dimensions as small as two micrometers 

and operate at frequencies above 10 gigahertz. Although other components are larger, the active regions of the transistors are one atomic 

layer thick (courtesy of Eric Snow, NRL).

Cover and book design

Cover design is by N. R. Fuller, Sayo-Art LLC. Book design is by staff of the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO).

Copyright information

This document is a work of the U.S. Government and is in the public domain (see 17 USC §105). Subject to stipulations below, it may be 

distributed and copied, with acknowledgement to the NNCO. Copyrights to graphics included in this document are reserved by original 

copyright holders or their assignees and are used here under the Government’s license and by permission. Requests to use any images must be 

made to the provider identified in the image credits, or to the NNCO if no provider is identified.

Printed in the United States of America, 2011.
The National Nanotechnology Initiative

Research and Development Leading to a Revolution

in Technology and Industry

Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget

February 2011

Subcommittee on Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology 

Committee on Technology

National Science and Technology Council
Department and Agency Representatives to the NSET Subcommittee

Office of Science and Technology 

Policy (OSTP)

Travis M. Earles

Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB)

Irene B. Kariampuzha

Bureau of Industry

and Security (BIS/DOC)

Matt Borman

Consumer Product Safety 

Commission (CPSC)

Mary Ann Danello

Treye A. Thomas

Department of Defense (DOD)

Akbar Khan

Gernot S. Pomrenke

Lewis Sloter

Eric Snow

David M. Stepp

Department of Education 

DOEd)

Krishan Mathur

Department of Energy (DOE)

Harriet Kung

Mihal E. Gross

John C. Miller

Ravi Prasher

Andrew R. Schwartz

Brian G. Valentine

Department of Homeland 

Security (DHS)

Richard T. Lareau

Eric J. Houser

Department of Justice (DOJ)

Joseph Heaps

Department of Labor (DOL)

Janet Carter

Department of State (DOS)

Ken Hodgkins

Chris Cannizzaro

Department of Transportation

(DOT)

Alasdair Cain

Jonathan R. Porter

Department of the Treasury

(DOTreas)

John F. Bobalek

Director of National Intelligence

(DNI)

Richard Ridgley

Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA)

Jeff Morris

Nora F. Savage

Philip G. Sayre

Food and Drug Administration

(FDA/DHHS)

Carlos Peña

Ritu Nalubola

Forest Service (FS/USDA)

World L.-S. Nieh

Christopher D. Risbrudt

Theodore H. Wegner

National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration (NASA)

Michael A. Meador

National Institute of Food and 

Agriculture (NIFA/USDA)

Hongda Chen

National Institute for 

Occupational Safety and Health

(NIOSH/CDC/DHHS)

Charles L. Geraci

Vladimir V. Murashov

National Institute of Standards 

and Technology (NIST/DOC)

Lloyd J. Whitman

National Institutes of Health 

(NIH/DHHS)

Piotr Grodzinski

Lori Henderson

Jeffery A. Schloss

National Science Foundation 

(NSF)

Mihail C. Roco

Parag R. Chitnis

Ian Robertson

T. James Rudd

Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

(NRC)

Stuart Richards

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

Sarah Gerould

U.S. International Trade 

Commission (USITC)

Elizabeth R. Nesbitt

U.S. Patent and Trademark 

Office (USPTO/DOC)

Charles Eloshway

Bruce Kisliuk

Report prepared by

NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL

COMMITTEE ON TECHNOLOGY (CoT)

SUBCOMMITTEE ON NANOSCALE SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND TECHNOLOGY (NSET)

CoT Co-Chairs: Aneesh Chopra, Office of Science and Technology Policy

Vivek Kundra, Office of Management and Budget 

Philip Weiser, National Economic Council

CoT Executive Secretary: Pedro Espina, Office of Science and Technology Policy

NSET Subcommittee Co-Chairs: National Nanotechnology Coordination Office Director

Travis M. Earles, Office of Science and Technology Policy and Coordinator for Standards Development:

Lewis Sloter, Department of Defense E. Clayton Teague

NSET Subcommittee Executive Secretary: National Nanotechnology Coordination Office Deputy

Geoffrey M. Holdridge, National Nanotechnology Director and Coordinator for Environment, Health, and

Coordination Office Safety Research:

Sally Tinkle
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20502

February 22, 2011

MEMBERS OF CONGRESS:

I am pleased to forward with this letter the multi-agency National Nanotechnology Initiative 

(NNI) Supplement to the President’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2012 and annual report. This 

document briefly describes the programs and coordinated activities taking place across the 25

agencies participating today in the NNI – an initiative that has been a leading model of 

interagency coordination and collaboration for over a decade. Nanotechnology research and 

development (R&D) is inherently multidisciplinary and its rate of progress depends on strong 

interagency communication, coordination, and collaboration within the framework of the 

National Science and Technology Council to leverage expertise throughout the Federal 

Government. 

The proposed NNI budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 of $2.1 billion will advance our 

understanding of nanoscale phenomena and our ability to engineer nanoscale devices and 

systems that address national priorities and global challenges consistent with the President’s 

Strategy for American Innovation in such areas as renewable energy, next-generation electronics, 

and sustainable manufacturing. At the same time, the NNI investment sustains vital support for

the fundamental, groundbreaking R&D and research infrastructure (world-class centers, 

networks, and user facilities) as well as education and training programs that collectively 

constitute a major wellspring of innovation in the United States. Finally, our nanotechnology 

R&D investment continues the NNI’s strategic and integrated approach to addressing 

environmental, health, societal, and ethical issues raised by nanotechnologies. 

The United States must continue to lead the way in nanotechnology and emerging technology 

innovation. The Nation’s economic growth and global competitiveness depend on it. The NNI 

reflects a longstanding commitment to broad-based support of integrated, coordinated 

applications and implications R&D that will enable America to out-innovate, out-educate, and 

out-build the rest of the world. To these ends, thank you for your commitment and support.

Sincerely,

John P. Holdren

Assistant to the President for Science and Technology

Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy

The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table of Contents.....................................................................................................................................1

1. Introduction and Overview..................................................................................................................3

Overview of the National Nanotechnology Initiative..........................................................................3

What is Nanotechnology?....................................................................................................................3

Purpose of this Report .........................................................................................................................4

2. NNI Investments..................................................................................................................................7

Budget Summary .................................................................................................................................7

Changes in Balance of Investments by Program Component Area (PCA)........................................13

Utilization of SBIR and STTR Programs to Advance Nanotechnology............................................16

3. Progress Towards Achieving NNI Goals and Priorities....................................................................19

Activities Relating to the Four NNI Goals ........................................................................................19

External Reviews of the NNI.............................................................................................................39

Appendix A. Glossary ...........................................................................................................................41

Appendix B. Contact List ......................................................................................................................44
2 The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget
The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget 3

1. INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW

Overview of the National Nanotechnology Initiative

The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) is a U.S. Government research and development (R&D)

program of twenty-five agencies working together toward the common challenging vision of “a future in 

which the ability to understand and control matter at the nanoscale leads to a revolution in technology and 

industry that benefits society.”1 The combined, coordinated efforts of these agencies have accelerated 

discovery, development, and deployment of nanotechnology towards both agency missions and the 

broader national interest. Established in 2001,2 the NNI involves the nanotechnology-related activities of 

the 25 agencies shown in Table 1, 15 of which have specific budgets for nanotechnology R&D for 2012.

The National Nanotechnology Initiative is managed within the framework of the National Science and 

Technology Council (NSTC), the Cabinet-level council by which the President coordinates science and 

technology policy across the Federal Government. The Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology 

(NSET) Subcommittee of the NSTC’s Committee on Technology coordinates planning, budgeting, 

program implementation, and review of the initiative. The NSET Subcommittee is composed of 

representatives from agencies participating in the NNI. A listing of official NSET Subcommittee members 

is provided at the front of this report. Contact information for NSET Subcommittee participants is 

provided in Appendix B. The National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO) acts as the 

primary point of contact for information on the NNI; provides technical and administrative support to 

the NSET Subcommittee; supports the subcommittee in the preparation of multiagency planning, budget, 

and assessment documents, including this report; develops, updates, and maintains the NNI website, 

http://www.nano.gov, and provides public outreach on behalf of the NNI. 

The NSET Subcommittee has established four working groups to support key NNI activities that the 

subcommittee recognizes will benefit from focused interagency attention. These are the Global Issues in 

Nanotechnology (GIN) Working Group; the Nanotechnology Environmental and Health Implications 

(NEHI) Working Group; the Nanomanufacturing, Industry Liaison, and Innovation (NILI) Working 

Group; and the Nanotechnology Public Engagement and Communication (NPEC) Working Group.

 1 The National Nanotechnology Initiative Strategic Plan (NSTC, Washington DC, 2011; http://nano.gov/nnistrategicplan211.pdf), 

p. 4.

2 General note: In conformance with Office of Management and Budget style, references to years in this report are to fiscal years 

unless otherwise noted.

What is Nanotechnology?

Nanotechnology is the understanding and control of matter at dimensions between approximately 1 and 100 

nanometers, where unique phenomena enable novel applications. Encompassing nanoscale science, engineering, and 

technology, nanotechnology involves imaging, measuring, modeling, and manipulating matter at this length scale.

A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. A sheet of paper is about 100,000 nanometers thick; a single gold atom is 

about a third of a nanometer in diameter. Dimensions between approximately 1 and 100 nanometers are known as 

the nanoscale. Unusual physical, chemical, and biological properties can emerge in materials at the nanoscale. These 

properties may differ in important ways from the properties of bulk materials and single atoms or molecules.
1. Introduction and Overview

4 The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget

The February 2011 NNI Strategic Plan sets out the vision for the NNI stated above. The plan specifies 

four goals aimed at achieving that overall vision: (1) advance a world-class nanotechnology research and 

development program; (2) foster the transfer of new technologies into products for commercial and public 

benefit; (3) develop and sustain educational resources, a skilled workforce, and the supporting 

infrastructure and tools to advance nanotechnology; and (4) support responsible development of 

nanotechnology. For each of the goals, the plan identifies specific objectives toward collectively achieving 

the NNI vision. 

The plan also lays out eight NNI investment categories (or program component areas, PCAs), each aimed 

at helping to achieve one or more of the above goals:

1. Fundamental nanoscale phenomena and processes

2. Nanomaterials

3. Nanoscale devices and systems

4. Instrumentation research, metrology, and standards for nanotechnology

5. Nanomanufacturing

6. Major research facilities and instrumentation acquisition

7. Environment, health, and safety

8. Education and societal dimensions

Federal agencies are investing in R&D within the above PCAs in support of national goals and agency 

missions. NNI funding represents the sum of the nanotechnology-related funding allocated by each of the 

participating agencies. Each agency separately determines its budget for nanotechnology R&D, in 

coordination with the Office of Management and Budget, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, 

and Congress. The NNI is an interagency budget crosscut in which participating agencies work closely 

with each other to create an integrated program. Thus, enhanced communications through the NSET 

Subcommittee and its working groups has led to joint coordination and collaboration in a variety of 

forms, including sharing of knowledge and expertise; joint sponsorship of solicitations and workshops; and 

leveraging of funding, staff, and equipment/facility resources at NNI participating agencies. 

Purpose of this Report

This document provides supplemental information to the President’s 2012 Budget and serves as the 

Annual Report on the NNI called for in the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act 

(P.L. 108-153). In particular, the report summarizes NNI programmatic activities for 2010 and 2011, as 

well as those planned for in 2012. NNI budgets for 2010–2012 are presented by agency and PCA in 

Section 2 of this report. Information on the use of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and 

Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) program funds to support nanotechnology research 

and commercialization activities, also called for in P.L. 108-153, is included at the end of Section 2. 

Section 3 discusses activities that have been undertaken and progress that has been made toward achieving 

the four goals set out in the NNI Strategic Plan and highlights external reviews of the NNI and how their 

recommendations are being addressed.
1. Introduction and Overview

The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget 5

Table 1

List of Federal Agencies Participating in the NNI During 2011

Federal agencies with budgets dedicated to nanotechnology research and development

Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) 

Department of Defense (DOD)

Department of Energy (DOE)

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Department of Justice (DOJ)

Department of Transportation (DOT, including the Federal Highway Administration, FHWA)

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Food and Drug Administration (FDA, Department of Health and Human Services)

Forest Service (FS, Department of Agriculture)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH, Department of Health and Human 

Services/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA, Department of Agriculture)

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST, Department of Commerce)

National Institutes of Health (NIH, Department of Health and Human Services) 

National Science Foundation (NSF) 

Other participating agencies

Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS, Department of Commerce)

Department of Education (DOEd)

Department of Labor (DOL, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA)

Department of State (DOS)

Department of the Treasury (DOTreas)

Director of National Intelligence (DNI)

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS, Department of the Interior)

U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC)

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO, Department of Commerce)
6 The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget
The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget 7

2.NNI INVESTMENTS

Budget Summary

The 2012 Budget provides $2.1 billion for the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), an increase of 

over $200 million compared to the 2010 NNI level. Such an increase is consistent with the President’s 

Strategy for American Innovation3 and reflects strong, steady growth in the NNI investment. This 

sustained major investment in nanotechnology research and development (R&D) across the Federal 

Government over the past twelve years of the NNI (spanning three Presidential Administrations and six

Congresses) reflects the broad support for this program. Cumulatively totaling over $16.5 billion since the 

inception of the NNI in 2001 (including the 2012 request), this support is based on nanotechnology’s 

potential to vastly improve our fundamental understanding and control of matter, ultimately leading to a 

revolution in technology and industry for the benefit of society. While the NNI remains focused on 

fulfilling the Federal role of supporting basic research, infrastructure development, and technology 

transfer, the investments in 2010 and 2011 and those proposed for 2012 reflect a renewed emphasis on 

accelerating the transition from basic R&D advances and capabilities into innovations that support 

national priorities such as sustainable energy technologies, healthcare, and environmental protection. This 

is reflected in substantial increases in the requested nanotechnology investments for 2012 at the 

Department of Energy, in particular at the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy (ARPA-E), as 

well as in steadily growing investments by the National Institutes of Health and the Environmental 

Protection Agency. The NNI also continues to increase its investments aimed at implementing the 

Government’s strategy for environmental, health, and safety (EHS) research.4 This is indicated by the 

proposed increase of the investments in nanotechnology R&D at the Food and Drug Administration from 

$7.3 million in 2010 to $15.0 million in the 2012 request. The Consumer Product Safety Administration

also has increased its nanotechnology R&D funding from $0.5 million in 2010 to $2.0 million in the 

2012 request. Additionally, there is increased participation in the NNI by other regulatory agencies such 

as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Increasing investments in nanotechnology R&D 

by many other NNI participating agencies reflect the potential for this research to support agency missions 

and responsibilities. Cumulative investments in EHS research since 2005 now total nearly $575 million. 

Cumulative investments in education and in research on ethical, legal, and other societal implications 

(ELSI) of nanotechnology since 2005 total over $390 million.

The 2012 NNI budget supports nanoscale science, engineering, and technology R&D at 15 agencies. 

Agencies with the largest investments are: 

• DOE (research providing a basis for new and improved energy technologies)

• NIH (nanotechnology-based biomedical research at the intersection of life sciences and the physical 

sciences) 

• NSF (fundamental research across all disciplines of science and engineering) 

• DOD (science and engineering research advancing defense and dual-use capabilities) 

• NIST (fundamental research and development of measurement and fabrication tools, analytical 

methodologies, and metrology for nanotechnology) 

 3 http://www.whitehouse.gov/innovation/strategy

4 Strategy for Nanotechnology-Related Environmental, Health, and Safety Research (February 2008): http://www.nano.gov

/NNI_EHS_Research_Strategy.pdf. ((The 2010/2011 update of the 2007 NNI Strategy for Nanotechnology-Related 

Environmental, Health, and Safety Research is being finalized as of this printing; it will be available at http://www.nano.gov

/html/res/pubs.html in spring 2011.)
2. NNI Investments 

8 The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget

Other agencies investing in mission-related research are NASA, EPA, NIOSH, FDA, USDA (including 

both NIFA and FS), DHS, CPSC, DOT (including FHWA), and DOJ.

Table 2 shows NNI investments in 2010–2012 for Federal agencies with budgets and investments for 

nanotechnology R&D. Tables 3–5 list the investments by agency and by program component area (PCA).

Table 2: NNI Budget, by Agency, 2010--2012

(dollars in millions)

Agency 2010 Actual 2011 CR* 2012 Proposed

DOE** 373.8 380.8 610.6

HHS/NIH 456.8 456.8 464.8

NSF 428.7 412.1 455.9

DOD*** 439.6 415.4 368.2

DOC/NIST 114.7 95.9 115.7

NASA 19.7 20.1 32.3

EPA 17.7 17.6 19.8

HHS/NIOSH 8.5 9.5 16.5

HHS/FDA 7.3 7.3 15.0

USDA/NIFA 13.2 13.2 11.6

DHS 21.9 12.3 10.2

USDA/FS 7.1 5.0 5.0

CPSC 0.5 2.2 2.0

DOT/FHWA 3.2 2.0 2.0

DOJ 0.2 0.0 0.0

TOTAL**** 1,912.8 1,850.3 2,129.6

* 2011 levels reflect the annualized amounts provided by the continuing resolution (CR) that extends through March 4, 2011.

** Funding levels for DOE include the combined budgets of the Office of Science, the Office of Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy (EERE), the Office of Fossil Energy, and the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy (ARPA-E).

*** In Tables 2–3, the 2010 DOD figures include $75 million in Congressionally directed funding that is outside the NNI 

plans.

**** For Tables 2–9, totals may not add, due to rounding.

Key points about the 2011 and 2012 NNI investments

• The President’s 2012 Budget includes significant funding for the three Nanotechnology Signature 

Initiatives that were introduced in the 2011 Budget: $125.7 million for Nanotechnology for Solar 

Energy Collection and Conversion; $84.0 million for Sustainable Nanomanufacturing; and $98.5 

million for Nanoelectronics for 2020 and Beyond, for a total of $308.1 million. See Tables 6–8 and 

the accompanying text on pages 11–13 for details. Consistent with the President’s Strategy for 

American Innovation, the Nanotechnology Signature Initiatives aim to catalyze breakthroughs for 

national priorities and harness science and technology to address “grand challenges” of the 21st century.

• The most recent data on funding for nanotechnology through the SBIR and STTR programs shows a 

continued strong upward trend with an increase of over 30%, from $97 million in 2008 to $127

million in 2009. Cumulatively, the NNI agencies have funded over $517 million of nanotechnologyrelated SBIR and STTR awards since 2004. Continued emphasis on SBIR and STTR funding is in 

keeping with the Administration’s Startup America program, which is aimed at helping entrepreneurs 

overcome the “valley of death” on the way to successful commercialization of science and technology 

breakthroughs.
2. NNI Investments 

The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget 9

• For the first time in the NNI Budget request, funding for research on nanoscale devices and systems 

(PCA 3) has now overtaken fundamental nanoscale phenomena and processes (PCA 1) as the largest 

program component area, with $567 million requested for 2012, compared to $521 million for 

PCA 1. This reflects the evolution of basic research in some areas of nanotechnology to the successful 

development of nanotechnology-enabled devices and other applications, and the transition within the 

NNI to more use-inspired research.

• However, sustaining the basic research component of the NNI remains essential to its continued 

success, feeding the upstream end of the innovation pipeline. Therefore PCA 1 combined with PCA 2 

(nanomaterials, $448 million in the 2012 Budget) still account for nearly half of the total NNI 

funding request. The funding for PCAs 1 and 2 combined has risen from $849 million in 2010 to 

$969 million in the 2012 request.

• The 2012 Budget includes a major increase in requested investments at the Department of Energy. 

Totaling over $610 million (up from $374 million in 2010), the DOE 2012 request includes funding

at ARPA-E, EERE, the Office of Fossil Energy, and the Office of Science. Much of this increase is at 

ARPA-E, which did not receive any money in the 2010 appropriation or in the current 2011 

continuing resolution. This reflects the maturation of some aspects of nanoscale science and 

technology that have received long-term, sustained support from the Office of Science and other NNI 

basic research agencies, to the point where these areas are ripe for the development of nanotechnologyenabled applications to address the nation’s energy needs.

• Following from a recommendation of the 2010 evaluation of the NNI by the President’s Council of 

Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), the 2012 Budget includes a substantial increase of 

44% in the NNI investment in nanomanufacturing, from $84.8 million in 2010 to $122.5 million in 

2012. This is associated in part with the increased request for the Signature Initiative on Sustainable 

Nanomanufacturing, with increased investments at DOE/ARPA-E and DOE/EERE, and with a 

reinvigorated nanomanufacturing investment at NSF for 2012.

• The funding level for EHS research has increased by 37%, from $90.2 million in 2010 to $123.5

million in the 2012 request. This reflects not only increased funding at the agencies that have been

supporting this research for many years, but also the addition of several agencies to the EHS budget, 

including research agencies NASA and USDA/FS and regulatory agencies FDA and CPSC. The NNI 

is also updating its strategy for EHS research, with expected completion in early calendar year 2011.

For tables in this document, EHS R&D is defined as research whose primary purpose is to understand 

and address potential risks to health and the environment that engineered nanomaterials may pose. 

• Investments in instrumentation research, metrology, and standards (PCA 4) and in major research 

facilities and instrumentation acquisition (PCA 6) are being sustained. While the NNI’s initial 

infrastructure investments have been completed, there is an ongoing need to maintain and upgrade 

equipment and facilities, and to develop new, cutting-edge instrumentation to facilitate continued 

progress in nanotechnology and to encourage ready access to state-of-the-art research capabilities for 

accelerated commercialization efforts. 

• Investments at other agencies (e.g., DHS and DOJ) fluctuate from year to year, as research portfolios 

are reexamined on an ongoing basis, and some nanotechnology investments are recognized sometimes 

only after they have been funded and their enabling nanotechnology components become evident. For 

example, DHS requested $11.7 million for nanotechnology in 2010, but subsequently has reported 

$21.9 million for that year, while the 2012 request has dropped to $10.2 million.
2. NNI Investments 

10 The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget

Table 3: Actual 2010 Agency Investments by Program Component Area 

(dollars in millions)

1. Fundamental

Phenomena & 

Processes

2. Nanomaterials

3. Nanoscale

Devices

& Systems

4. Instrument 

Research, 

Metrology, & 

Standards

5. Nanomanufacturing

6. Major Research 

Facilities & Instr. 

Acquisition 

7. Environment, 

Health, and Safety

8. Education & 

Societal 

Dimensions

NNI Total

DOE 97.6 115.8 25.4 20.2 6.5 105.2 2.6 0.5 373.8

HHS/NIH 60.0 76.0 244.0 22.0 0.8 8.0 20.0 26.0 456.8

NSF 168.1 74.9 55.6 17.9 21.4 29.3 27.1 34.5 428.7

DOD 138.0 59.1 168.5 6.6 26.4 35.6 0.0 5.4 439.6

DOC/NIST 22.3 8.2 24.3 17.3 27.2 12.1 3.4 0.0 114.7

NASA 0.0 7.6 10.0 0.0 2.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 19.7

EPA 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 17.1 0.0 17.7

HHS/NIOSH 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 8.5 0.0 8.5

HHS/FDA 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 7.3 0.0 7.3

USDA/NIFA 1.0 2.0 5.5 0.3 0.2 0.0 3.7 0.5 13.2

DHS 1.4 11.5 5.0 4.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 21.9

USDA/FS 2.0 1.4 2.4 1.1 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 7.1

CPSC 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.5

DOT/FHWA 0.0 2.0 1.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.2

DOJ 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2

TOTAL 490.5 358.9 542.1 89.4 84.8 190.2 90.2 66.9 1,912.8

Table 4: Estimated 2011 CR Agency Investments by Program Component Area 

(dollars in millions)

1. Fundamental

Phenomena & 

Processes

2. Nanomaterials

3. Nanoscale 

Devices

& Systems

4. Instrument 

Research, 

Metrology, & 

Standards

5. Nanomanufacturing

6. Major Research 

Facilities & Instr. 

Acquisition 

7. Environment, 

Health, and Safety

8. Education & 

Societal 

Dimensions

NNI Total

DOE 103.2 120.5 33.0 15.7 2.6 105.8 0.0 0.0 380.8

HHS/NIH 60.0 76.0 244.0 22.0 0.8 8.0 20.0 26.0 456.8

NSF 152.6 78.7 43.7 18.3 22.4 37.8 24.3 34.3 412.1

DOD 180.1 31.5 145.3 2.4 27.7 25.7 0.0 2.8 415.4

DOC/NIST 21.7 7.3 20.8 16.9 14.6 11.4 3.2 0.0 95.9

NASA 0.0 7.8 10.0 0.0 1.9 0.0 0.0 0.4 20.1

EPA 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 17.0 0.0 17.6

HHS/NIOSH 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 9.5 0.0 9.5

HHS/FDA 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 7.3 0.0 7.3

USDA/NIFA 1.2 3.0 6.0 0.3 0.2 0.0 2.0 0.5 13.2

DHS 0.8 1.5 3.0 7.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 12.3

USDA/FS 1.9 1.3 0.6 1.0 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 5.0

CPSC 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.2 0.0 2.2

DOT/FHWA 0.0 1.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.0

DOJ 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

TOTAL 521.6 328.8 507.5 83.6 70.3 188.7 85.6 64.0 1,850.3
2. NNI Investments 

The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget 11

Table 5: Proposed 2012 Agency Investments by Program Component Area 

(dollars in millions)

1. Fundamental

Phenomena & 

Processes

2. Nanomaterials

3. Nanoscale 

Devices

& Systems

4. Instrument 

Research, 

Metrology, & 

Standards

5. Nanomanufacturing

6. Major Research 

Facilities & Instr. 

Acquisition 

7. Environment, 

Health, and Safety

8. Education & 

Societal 

Dimensions

NNI Total

DOE 121.3 246.3 86.8 18.4 18.3 119.5 0.0 0.0 610.6

HHS/NIH 61.0 77.0 249.0 23.0 0.8 8.0 20.0 26.0 464.8

NSF 151.6 76.3 59.2 16.6 57.2 31.5 34.5 29.0 455.9

DOD 162.8 24.1 132.6 2.1 20.3 16.4 0.0 10.0 368.2

DOC/NIST 21.1 8.9 20.0 20.0 17.5 16.6 11.6 0.0 115.7

NASA 0.0 9.3 11.7 0.0 7.3 0.0 2.0 2.0 32.3

EPA 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 19.8 0.0 19.8

HHS/NIOSH 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 16.5 0.0 16.5

HHS/FDA 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 15.0 0.0 15.0

USDA/NIFA 1.0 2.0 5.5 0.3 0.3 0.0 2.0 0.5 11.6

DHS 0.7 1.5 1.0 7.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 10.2

USDA/FS 1.4 1.5 0.1 1.0 0.9 0.0 0.1 0.0 5.0

CPSC 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.0 0.0 2.0

DOT/FHWA 0.0 1.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.0

DOJ 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

TOTAL 520.8 447.9 566.9 88.4 122.5 192.0 123.5 67.5 2,129.6

Nanotechnology Signature Initiatives

As first announced in the President’s 2011 Budget, NNI member agencies have identified areas ripe for 

significant advances through close and targeted program-level interagency collaboration, with the objective 

of accelerating nanotechnology development in support of the President's priorities and innovation 

strategy. The 2011 Budget proposed funding for three Nanotechnology Signature Initiatives; significant 

increases in funding for all three are included in the 2012 Budget, as shown in Tables 6–8.5 Additional 

details are provided below and online at http://www.nano.gov/html/research/signature_initiatives.html.

Signature Initiative: Nanotechnology for Solar Energy Collection and Conversion

This interagency R&D initiative is aimed at using nanotechnology to help overcome current performance 

barriers and substantially improve the collection and conversion of solar energy. In particular the initiative 

aims to use nanotechnology to:

• Improve photovoltaic solar electricity generation

• Improve solar thermal energy generation and conversion

• Improve solar-to-fuel conversions

 5 Note that these initiatives typically span multiple PCAs; information on signature initiative funding by PCA is not available.
2. NNI Investments 

12 The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget

Table 6: Nanotechnology for Solar Energy Collection 

and Conversion, 2011--2012

(dollars in millions)

Agency 2011 CR 2012 Proposed

DOE* 65.0 79.2

NSF 0.0 32.0

NIST 3.8 11.5

NASA 0.0 2.0

USDA/NIFA 0.0 1.0

TOTAL 68.8 125.7

* Funding levels for DOE include the combined budgets of the Office of Science, the Office of 

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy.

Signature Initiative: Sustainable Nanomanufacturing—Creating the Industries of the Future

This interagency R&D initiative will establish manufacturing technologies for economical and sustainable 

integration of nanoscale building blocks into complex, large-scale systems. In particular, the focus is on:

• Design of scalable and sustainable nanomaterials, components, devices, and processes

• Nanomanufacturing measurement technologies

Table 7: Sustainable Nanomanufacturing, 2011--2012

(dollars in millions)

Agency 2011 CR 2012 Proposed

DOE* 7.6 35.3

NSF 0.0 35.4

NIST 0.5 7.4

NASA 0.0 5.0

USDA/FS 0.2 0.9

TOTAL 8.3 84.0

* Funding levels for DOE include the combined budgets of the Office of Energy Efficiency 

and Renewable Energy and the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy.

Signature Initiative: Nanoelectronics for 2020 and Beyond

This interagency R&D initiative is aimed at discovering and using novel nanoscale fabrication processes 

and innovative concepts to produce revolutionary materials, devices, systems, and architectures to advance 

the field of electronics. The initiative has five thrust areas:

• Exploring new or alternative “state variables” for computing

• Merging nanophotonics with nanoelectronics

• Exploring carbon-based nanoelectronics

• Exploiting nanoscale processes and phenomena for quantum information science

• National nanoelectronics research and manufacturing infrastructure network (university-based 

infrastructure)
2. NNI Investments 

The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget 13

Table 8: Nanoelectronics for 2020 and Beyond 

2011--2012

(dollars in millions)

Agency 2011 CR 2012 Proposed

NSF 0.0 50.0

DOE* 0.0 33.8

NIST 11.7 11.7

NASA 0.0 3.0

TOTAL 11.7 98.5

* Funding levels for DOE include the combined budgets of the Office of Science and 

the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy.

Changes in Balance of Investments by Program Component Area (PCA)6

P.L. 108-153 calls for this report to address changes in the balance of investments by NNI member 

agencies among the PCAs. These are summarized below, principally for those agencies that are reporting 

significant changes for 2011 and 2012.

CPSC: The Consumer Product Safety Commission expects that investments in PCA 7 (environment, 

health, and safety) will be maintained.

DOD: The DOD does not establish funding targets for nanotechnology, which has proven to be 

effectively competitive based on its contributions to meeting needs and providing opportunities for future 

capability. New projects are awarded on a competitive basis, and as a result, the balance of investment can 

change from historical levels and predictions. Nonetheless, based on the state of nanoscience and 

nanotechnology research and development, the DOD expects that its primary emphasis will remain in 

PCAs 1–3 (fundamental nanoscale phenomena and processes, nanomaterials, and nanoscale devices and 

systems, respectively). Historically, DOD’s Technology Base (Budget Activity 1–3) investment in 

nanotechnology has been approximately 50% in Basic Research, about 40% in Applied Research, and 

about 10% in Advanced Technology Development. The bulk of the SBIR/STTR investment in 

nanotechnology would be categorized as functionally similar to the Applied Research category, although 

with a strong, directly commercializable product or process aspect more analogous to the Advanced 

Technology Development category. The current expectation is that these overall percentages will be 

continued through 2012. The DOD is increasing its focused investment in manufacturing related to 

nanotechnology through the Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative and STTR programs. Some 

examples of areas being emphasized include the following: (1) creation of highly uniform arrays of carbon 

nanotubes with an electronic grade junction to a silicon (Si) semiconductor substrate for ultra-lightweight, 

uncooled infrared detectors; (2) development of bio-enabled fabrication of electronics that bridges topdown and bottom-up approaches to achieve better than 10-nm spatial resolution; and (3) development of 

electrochemical techniques for patterning metals to produce nanoscale features for antennas, sensors, 

metamaterials, and catalysts. Renewed focus on nanomaterials in active devices and nonlithographic 

processing at the nanoscale is expected to lead to increasing investment in nanoscale devices and systems.

DOE: The majority of the Department of Energy components of the NNI are research programs and 

facilities supported by DOE's Office of Science. The investment in 2012 continues to support full 

operation of the five DOE Nanoscale Science Research Center (NSRC) user facilities (corresponding to 

 6 Changes are the 2012 NNI Budget compared to the actual 2010 NNI investments, as shown in this document.
2. NNI Investments 

14 The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget

PCA 6, major research facilities and instrumentation acquisition) and an extensive array of individual 

university grants and DOE laboratory research programs. The Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs), 

larger collaborative efforts in which portions of the activities relate to nanoscale science, are also continued. 

In 2010 DOE initiated an Energy Innovation Hub called the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis 

(JCAP), and this support will continue in 2011 and 2012, with a portion of the activity related to 

nanotechnology. In addition, in 2012 DOE requests funds in the Office of Science for the initiation of a 

second Energy Innovation Hub focusing on batteries and energy storage, for two interagency initiatives in 

Nanoelectronics (i.e., the Nanotechnology Signature Initiative on Nanoelectronics for 2020 and Beyond) 

and in Computational Materials and Chemistry by Design, and for new research on Materials under 

Extremes. It is expected that portions of all of these efforts will be appropriately classified as nanoscience. 

From 2007 through 2010 the Office of Science supported EHS and ELSI projects reported under PCA 7 

and PCA 8 that were focused on the fate and transport of nanomaterials. These projects will not continue 

beyond 2010 as the focus shifts to ELSI issues related to bioenergy and synthetic biology, but otherwise 

there have been no significant changes in the balance of Office of Science investments across the PCAs. 

However, the 2012 Budget includes an increase of $183 million in requested funding at ARPA-E for 

projects related to nanomaterials (PCA 2), nanoscale devices and systems (PCA 3), and 

nanomanufacturing (PCA 5).

DOT/FHWA: The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) investment will be maintained in 

PCA 2 (nanomaterials) and PCA 3 (nanoscale devices and systems).

FDA: FDA will continue to conduct activities in PCA 7 (environment, health, and safety). Together, these 

investments continue to support responsible development of nanotechnology.

IC/DNI: The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) has started to invest in PCA 5,

nanomanufacturing, and has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Office of the 

Secretary of Defense Title III Defense Production Act to develop a pilot production plant to manufacture 

carbon nanotube sheets and threads in volume.

NASA: Nanotechnology investments by NASA are focused in four key areas: engineered materials and 

structures; energy generation, storage, and distribution; propulsion; and electronics, sensors, and devices. 

These investments are well aligned with the NNI PCAs 2, 3, and 5—nanomaterials, nanoscale devices and 

systems, and nanomanufacturing. Overall NASA investments in nanotechnology increased by about $4 

million from 2009 to 2010, primarily due to a growth in SBIR/STTR funding in each of these three 

PCAs. Although only a slight growth in nanotechnology-related funding is expected in 2011, an 

additional $10 million will be invested in 2012 in support of the three Nanotechnology Signature 

Initiatives: $5 million for Sustainable Nanomanufacturing, $3 million for Nanoelectronics for 2020 and 

Beyond, and $2 million for Nanotechnology for Solar Energy Collection and Conversion. This additional 

funding will come from the Office of the Chief Technologist Space Technology Program.

NIH: NIH does not anticipate significant changes to its balance of investments in the NNI PCAs. A large 

proportion of the more than 25% increase between 2009 and 2010 resulted from a small number of large 

multi-year-funded awards using 2010 funds and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) 

funding. While the multi-year projects continue for the next several years, the funding for such projects 

will be reflected in current financial reports due to the timing of the grant process. PCAs with smaller 

investments are subject to large changes since there is a constant and revolving turnover of projects. 

However, the investment strategy has not been changed.

NIOSH: NIOSH does not anticipate any significant changes in overall investment in its nanotechnology 

research program, which currently falls entirely within PCA 7 (environment, health, and safety). However, 
2. NNI Investments 

The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget 15

emphasis on certain components of the NIOSH program may be increased in the future based on an 

ongoing effort to review and adjust the NIOSH Strategic Plan. NIOSH will continue to investigate the 

potential human health hazards of engineered nanomaterials by exploring their biologic mechanisms. 

There will also be increased emphasis on measuring worker exposures and developing effective control and 

risk management methods, along with developing guidance on medical surveillance.

NIST: The President’s 2012 Budget request for NIST will continue to support research in 

nanotechnology, including additional funds for developing measurements to support the manufacture and 

production of nanotechnology-based products. These increases will support NIST’s programs in EHS 

aspects of nanotechnology and in user facility instrumentation, and increase the support for measurement 

research necessary to enable the development of advanced solar and nanomanufacturing technologies in 

support of the Nanotechnology Signature Initiatives. NIST’s expanded nanotechnology EHS program will 

provide the measurement science and measurement technology (reference materials, documentary 

standards, reference data, instruments, and transferable methods and models) essential to enable the safe 

manufacture, use, and disposal of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) and ENM-enabled products. NIST 

will focus on ENMs of greatest regulatory concern based on production volume, widespread use in 

products, and potential hazards—namely, silver, titanium dioxide, and cerium oxide nanoparticles, carbon 

nanotubes, and clay-based nanocomposites. NIST will coordinate with manufacturers of ENMs and 

ENM-based products, other NNI agencies, particularly NIOSH, OSHA, CPSC, EPA, and major 

nanotechnology-related EHS university centers. To ensure that the Center for Nanoscale Science and 

Technology (CNST) user facility maintains the capabilities needed to effectively support industrial 

innovation and sustain cutting-edge measurement expertise, NIST is investing resources to ensure that it 

can replace and update instrumentation on a continuous and timely basis. The energy-related program will 

continue to develop the nanoscale measurement science and tools needed to accelerate breakthroughs in 

third-generation photovoltaic solar cell technologies. NIST will also develop the measurement knowledge 

and capabilities to enable cost-effective in-line measurement techniques for closed-loop process control, 

thereby overcoming a major obstacle to large-scale nanomanufacturing.

NSF: Overall NNI funding at NSF in the 2012 request will increase by $27 million as compared to the 

actual 2010 investment because of research priorities in several directorates.

Signature Initiatives. The 2012 budget includes an increase in NSF funding allocated to the Signature 

Initiative on Nanoelectronics for 2020 and Beyond to $50 million (equally distributed among PCAs 1, 2,

and 3). The NSF contributions in 2012 for the Signature Initiative on Nanotechnology for Solar Energy 

Collection and Conversion (equally distributed among PCAs 1, 2, and 3) will be $32 million. The 2012 

funding of $35.4 million for the Signature Initiative on Sustainable Nanomanufacturing is contained 

within PCA 5 (nanomanufacturing).

Nanomanufacturing. The full 2012 request for PCA 5 is $57.2 million, of which $35.4 million is for the 

Signature Initiative on Sustainable Nanomanufacturing. New R&D programs are aimed at enabling 

scaled-up, reliable, cost-effective manufacturing of nanoscale materials, structures, devices, and systems.

More specifically, the increased funding will support new concepts for high-rate synthesis and processing 

of nanostructures, nanostructured catalysts, nanobiotechnology methods, surface engineering, design and 

fabrication methods for devices, and assembly of devices into nanosystems and then into larger-scale 

structures of relevance in industry, sustainability, and medicine. Partnerships between research centers and 

small businesses in the areas of manufacturing and commercialization will be strengthened while 

maintaining about the same level of NSF investment.
2. NNI Investments 

16 The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget

Major Research Facilities & Instrumentation Acquisition. The 2012 request includes $31.5 million, an

increase of $2.2 million for PCA 6 compared to 2010. This includes funding for user facilities, acquisition 

of major instrumentation, and other activities that develop, support, or enhance the scientific 

infrastructure for the conduct of nanoscale science, engineering, and technology research and 

development. Because the infrastructure is becoming better established, a part of those funds have 

transitioned into other PCAs, as part of the competitive planning process in each NSF directorate.

Partnerships of research centers with small businesses in the areas of nanomanufacturing (PCA 5) and 

commercialization will be strengthened while maintaining about the same level of NSF investment.

An external evaluation of the NSF Nanoscale Science and Engineering Centers (NSECs) will be 

completed in 2011. The results will be used to evaluate establishment of 2–3 new centers using a systems

approach and new methods for supporting innovation in nanotechnology.

Environmental, Health, and Safety. In 2012, funds will be transferred from several PCAs to increase NSF 

funding for PCA 7 (environment, health, and safety) to a total of $34.5 million. This shift reflects the 

prioritization of EHS within the overall NNI portfolio. The request is for research primarily directed at 

EHS implications and methods for reducing the respective risks of nanotechnology development. The 

support for EHS represents 7.6% of the total NNI funding at NSF. Support will be provided to increase 

research on nanobiology as it relates to predictive toxicity of nanomaterials, and on a new generation of 

nanotechnology products.

USDA/FS: In 2012, Forest Service nanotechnology research will continue to place a greater emphasis on 

renewable nanocellulose materials from the forest. Forest Service R&D nanotechnology research 

investments will be allocated in nanomaterials (PCA 2), characterization and standards of renewable 

nanocellulose materials (PCA 4), and renewable nanocellulose materials-related manufacturing research 

(PCA 5) while maintaining proportional R&D investment in fundamental aspects of nanotechnology in 

wood utilization (PCA 1). For 2012, the Forest Service plans to broaden its nanotechnology research 

investments to investigate environment, health, and safety implications of nanotechnology in renewable 

materials (PCA 7).

Utilization of SBIR and STTR Programs to Advance Nanotechnology

As called for by the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act, this report includes 

information on use of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology 

Transfer (STTR) programs in support of nanotechnology development. Five NNI agencies—DOD, NSF, 

NIH, DOE, and NASA—have both SBIR and STTR programs. In addition to these agencies, EPA, 

NIOSH, NIST, and USDA have SBIR programs. Table 9 shows agency funding for SBIR and STTR 

awards for nanotechnology R&D from 2004 through 2009 (the latest year for which data is available). 

Some NNI agencies (e.g., EPA and NIH) have nanotechnology-specific topics in their SBIR and STTR 

solicitations. Some agencies (e.g., NIH and NSF) have had topical or applications-oriented solicitations for 

which many awardees have proposed nanotechnology-based innovations. All told, this data for 2004–2009

indicates that the NNI agencies have funded over $517 million of nanotechnology-related SBIR and 

STTR awards since 2004. 
2. NNI Investments 

The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget 17

Table 9: 2004--2009 Agency SBIR and STTR Awards

(dollars in millions)

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

SBIR STTR Total SBIR STTR Total SBIR STTR Total SBIR STTR Total SBIR STTR Total SBIR STTR Total

DOD 10.5 6.9 17.4 7.5 5.5 13 12.6 5.6 18.2 8.4 4.2 12.6 19.8 2.3 22.1 19.3 3.9 23.2

NSF 11.9 0.9 12.8 12.1 5.5 17.6 13.9 1.8 15.7 13.4 3.8 17.2 10.5 7.5 18.0 13.2 7.0 20.2

NIH 9.3 2.6 11.9 11.1 5.2 16.3 15.1 2.1 17.2 18.4 1.1 19.5 29.3 1.8 31.1 23.0 3.7 26.7

NIOSH 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.4 0.0 0.4 0.7 0.0 0.7

DOE 6.8 2.8 9.6 7.7 0.4 8.1 18.2 1.6 19.8 17.4 0.8 18.2 13.8 2.7 16.5 31.9 5.7 37.6

NASA 7.2 0.6 7.8 6.0 0.0 6.0 12.1 1.5 13.6 11.7 1.5 13.2 6.2 0.8 7.0 15.0 1.7 16.7

EPA 0.6 0.0 0.6 1.0 0.0 1.0 1.2 0.0 1.2 0.5 0.0 0.5 0.7 0.0 0.7 0.7 0.0 0.7

USDA 0.8 0.0 0.8 1.0 0.0 1.0 0.7 0.0 0.7 1.1 0.0 1.1 0.9 0.0 0.9 0.5 0.0 0.5

NIST 0.5 0.0 0.5 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.3 0.0 0.3 0.4 0.0 0.4 0.4 0.0 0.4

TOTAL 47.6 13.8 61.4 46.5 16.6 63.1 74.0 12.6 86.6 71.3 11.4 82.7 81.9 15.1 97.0 104.6 22.0 126.6
18 The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget
The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget 19

3. PROGRESS TOWARDS ACHIEVING 

NNIGOALS AND PRIORITIES

Activities Relating to the Four NNI Goals

As called for in the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act, the 2011 NNI Strategic 

Plan states that the annual interagency analysis of progress under the NNI will be provided in the annual 

NNI Supplement to the President’s Budget. As indicated in the plan, the NNI’s activities for 2010 and 

2011 and plans for 2012 are reported here in terms of how they promote progress toward the four NNI 

goals. Goal-related activities are reported in terms of two categories of activities: (1) individual agency 

activities and (2) engagement with other agencies and groups and activities external to the NNI, including 

international activities. A brief report of progress toward the NNI goals in terms of these two categories 

follows. The activities described below are only selected highlights of current and planned work of the NNI 

member agencies and are not an all-inclusive description of ongoing NNI activities.

Goal 1: Advance a world-class nanotechnology research and development program

The member agencies have sustained a strategic investment in nanotechnology R&D, something that is 

widely recognized as essential for the development and successful exploitation of any emerging technology. 

The expanded investment by this Administration in nanotechnology will build on the foundation 

established over the past ten years and set the stage for transitioning basic research discoveries into 

technologies and products for the benefit of our society and the nation’s economy.

Towards this goal, the NNI is (1) sustaining a variety of complementary R&D investment pathways, 

including single-investigator research, multi-investigator and team efforts, interdisciplinary centers of 

excellence, and user facilities and networks; (2) mapping the leading edge of R&D by sponsoring topical 

and strategy-setting workshops; (3) coordinating the NNI research and development investments across 

multiple agencies; and (4) stimulating collaborations and interactions across agencies, disciplines, 

industrial sectors, and nations. Examples of efforts toward all four components of this goal are presented 

below.

Individual Agency Contributions to Goal 1

DHS: The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate maintains active 

research development test & evaluation (RDT&E) programs that are aligned with this goal. Nanoscale 

devices and nanomaterials are important research areas in the development of advanced security screening 

technologies. Nanotechnology plays a central role in the function of key component technologies for 

portable detection systems, advanced x-ray sources, imaging systems for personnel screening, and canine 

training aids.

DOD: The focus and content of the DOD nanotechnology efforts are broadly associated with this goal.

Nanoscience and processing of materials at the nanoscale are important aspects for increasing the specific 

performance of materials and items upon which future defense capability can be built. Several specific 

examples of DOD investments related to Goal 1 follow.

• Progress has been made in research in unconventional venues of nano-assembly, focused on 

nanoimprint lithography, DNA-based self-assembly, and guided self-assembly at the atomic and 

molecular scales. The quality of the research efforts is demonstrated by significant awards, such as 
3. Progress Towards Achieving NNI Goals and Priorities

20 The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget

those of Navy (Office of Naval Research [ONR]) grantee Prof. Nadrian Seeman (New York 

University), who won the 2010 Kavli Prize for nanoscience for his pioneering contribution to 

structural DNA nanotechnology, and ONR grantee Prof. Andre Geim (University of Manchester),

who won the 2010 Nobel Prize for Physics for his groundbreaking experiments on graphene.

• The ability to partially decouple phonon and electron transport through the design of composite 

semiconductor systems incorporating epitaxial nanoparticles has been experimentally demonstrated in 

nanostructured nanowires, thin films, and bulk materials. Theoretical models support the nanoparticle 

size-dependent reduction of thermal conductivity with minimal impact on electrical conductivity that 

has led to record thermoelectric performance in these materials. Higher efficiency, solid-state energy 

conversion applications enabled by these advances include fuel-flexible, portable power generation, 

vehicle waste heat recuperation/fuel efficiency, and electronic device/systems cooling.

• The first discrete quaternary nanocrystal based on silver, lead, antimony, and tellurium 

(AgPbmSbTem+2 [m = 1-18]) has been synthesized by a low-temperature solution route, demonstrating

a new approach to achieve homogeneous solid-solution alloys with size- and composition-controlled 

semiconductor properties otherwise unobtainable in the bulk. This class of semiconductor 

nanocrystals has potential applications in thermoelectric energy conversion, infrared sensing, phase 

change memory, and photovoltaics.

• Utilizing the principles elucidated from bacterial communication, biological circuits that will form the 

bases for the bottom-up design and assembly of bioelectronic circuitry have been explored. In 

addition, the design rules for the self-assembly of protein nanostructures have been investigated. 

Elucidation of such first principles of biological design will enable the design and assembly of complex 

molecular machines that can be incorporated into materials (e.g., fabrics and coatings) to give them a 

range of functionalities such as selective porosity, catalysis, information processing, and the ability to 

alter structure and color in response to environmental conditions.

• DOD research has resulted in the detailed study of the interactions of water-soluble semiconductor 

quantum dots (QDs) with the electroactive neurotransmitter dopamine. These biocompatible QDdopamine nanoassemblies represent an important component of sensors that are used to detect a wide 

variety of target analytes ranging from sugars to peroxides. A series of carefully designed experiments 

has allowed the researchers to establish that only the quinone form is capable of acting as an electron 

acceptor resulting in quenching of the QD emission. The rate of quinone formation and hence QD 

quenching is directly proportional to pH and can therefore be used to detect changes in the pH of 

solutions. Using this nanoscale sensor, the researchers have been able to demonstrate pH sensing in 

solution and even visualize changes inside cells as cell cultures underwent drug-induced alkalosis. The 

research was published in the August 2010 issue of Nature Materials, and was sponsored by the Naval 

Research Laboratory’s Nanoscience Institute and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), an 

example of the common internal research collaboration within DOD.

• DOD is collaborating with NSF, NIST, DOE, and the Intelligence Community on the signature 

initiative “Nanoelectronics for 2020 and Beyond.”

DOE: The Department of Energy’s support for the NNI continues to come in large part from the DOE’s 

Office of Science through support of fundamental R&D, instrumentation, and construction and 

operation of major research facilities. In 2010 DOE initiated the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis 

(JCAP), an Energy Innovation Hub aimed at developing revolutionary methods to generate fuels directly 

from sunlight. It is estimated that approximately 20% of the activities in this hub involve nanotechnology. 

A similar Energy Innovation Hub focused on batteries and energy storage is requested in 2012 and it is 

anticipated that a significant fraction of that effort will also involve nanotechnology. By fostering unique, 
3. Progress Towards Achieving NNI Goals and Priorities

The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget 21

cross-disciplinary collaborations, these hubs will help advance highly promising areas of energy science and 

engineering from the early stage of research to the point where the technology can be handed off to the 

private sector. In 2012, the Office of Science has requested funds to support expanded efforts in basic 

research related to transformational clean energy technologies, with some portion expected to be classified 

as nanoscience. Significant NNI support also comes from the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable 

Energy (EERE). The EERE SunShot initiative supports research and development of nanomaterials, 

systems, and devices through three primary programs: the Next Generation Photovoltaics (PV), 

Foundational PV, and PV Technology Incubator programs.

DOE: ARPA-E is a new agency within the Department of Energy with the mission of translating scientific 

discoveries into revolutionary energy technologies by overcoming long-term, high-risk technological 

barriers. The desired outcome is to create technologies that do not exist today, but that if they did would 

make today’s technologies obsolete and have large commercial impact. The statutory goal is to ensure U.S.

technological lead as well as energy and economic security for the United States by reducing energy 

imports, reducing energy-related emissions, and ensuring energy efficiency across the whole economy. In 

2009-2010, ARPA-E has created multiple new programs that involve R&D in nanotechnology. Examples

include the following:

• Next-Gen Batteries for electric vehicles that have 10 times the performance-cost ratio of today’s Li-ion 

batteries. Many of these batteries rely on electrochemical reactions between metals and air. 

Nanostructured materials are key for selective transport and reactions of metals with oxygen and 

hydroxyl ions. 

• Carbon Capture Technologies that are both low-cost ($25-30/tCO2) and scalable involve a variety of 

nanostructured membranes and adsorbants that provide selective reactions and transport for CO2. 

• Non-Photosynthetic Biofuels involve new biological routes other than Calvin-Benson cycle to fix CO2

using microbes that can absorb a variety of reducing equivalents, such as direct current, H2S, etc. The 

interplay between nanostructured materials and these microbes is key to the performance of this new 

route to fuel synthesis. 

• Advanced Power Electronics involves the integration of wide-bandgap semiconductors such as SiC 

and GaN, nanostructured low-loss and high-permeability soft magnetics, and capacitors into low-cost, 

high-efficiency and high-reliability power conversion devices and systems. 

• Advanced Cooling Technologies focus on new approaches that are cost-effective, scalable, and those 

that would dramatically reduce primary energy use for cooling of buildings. This relies heavily on 

nanostructured materials such as membranes to selectively isolate water vapor from humid air as well 

as thermoelectric, thermomagnetic, and other materials for direct energy conversion. 

• Grid-level storage at the cost of pumped-hydro storage requires the use and integration of 

nanostructured materials in novel low-cost flow batteries, as well as materials with ultrahigh strengthto-weight ratio for flywheels. These programs have attracted some of the best minds in nanoscale 

science and engineering into energy technologies.

In 2012, ARPA-E plans to focus on a variety of new energy technologies that will rely on nanostructured 

materials, nanoscale manufacturing, and integration into systems. Some possible technologies include: (a) 

biogenic sources of natural gas and low-cost, high-density storage of natural gas for transportation; (b) 

non-Fischer-Tropsch based conversion of natural gas to infrastructure-compatible liquid transportation 

fuels; (c) low-cost and high-performance nanostructured membranes for desalination and osmotic power 

generation; (d) integration and packaging of low-cost, lightweight energy storage systems for electric 

vehicles; and (e) bioreactor systems for scaling non-photosynthetic biofuels.
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22 The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget

DOT/FHWA: The Federal Highway Administration will continue to investigate nanoscale approaches for 

inhibiting and mitigating corrosion and cracking in structural materials and for structural health 

monitoring via nanoscale sensors and devices. Several efforts are also aimed at improving modeling 

capabilities across multiple length scales to better predict material response under complex loads and 

environments typically encountered in transportation systems.

IC/DNI: The National Reconnaissance Office is starting an advanced fundamental research and 

development effort to enhance the properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Specifically, the goals are to 

increase CNT length from 25 micrometers to 75 or 100 micrometers for composite materials with 

superior strength and electrical and thermal conductivity, and to decrease direct current (DC) resistivity by 

25X for 48 volt DC data center operations that can lead to savings of 5 to 10% in power consumption.

These enhanced mechanical and electrical properties also hold great potential for 60 Hz alternating 

current (AC) high tension power lines. The other challenge is to find a resin (glue) for CNT composites 

for superior strength and enhanced acoustic dampening.

NASA: In 2010 nanotechnology was identified by NASA’s Office of the Chief Technologist as one of 14 

key technology areas critical for future NASA missions and, as such, targeted for increased investment by 

the agency. In late 2010 an intra-agency task force completed the draft of a 20-year roadmap for 

nanotechnology that identified nanotechnologies with the highest potential impact on NASA missions and 

key capabilities enabled by these nanotechnologies. The draft roadmap recommended four “grand 

challenges”—high-risk, high-payoff technology thrusts—for future funding. Following a process similar to 

that used by NASA in Decadal Survey planning, NASA will work with the National Research Council in 

2011 to review and refine the roadmap. The National Research Council will obtain comment on the 

roadmap content via a publicly available website and open workshops, and it will provide NASA with a 

report identifying technology gaps and recommending funding priorities. The roadmap will be revised 

based upon this input, with a final version expected to be completed in early 2012. The completed 

roadmap will be used to guide future funding decisions and to develop new R&D initiatives in 

nanotechnology. It will be updated on an annual basis to address changing needs and funding priorities 

within the agency, and it will be peer-reviewed every four years to assess progress and continued relevance.

NIH: In September 2010, the Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer of the National Cancer Institute 

(NCI) funded a variety of projects for the next five years. These include (1) nine multidisciplinary Centers 

for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence that are the primary components for discovery and tool 

development of nanotechnology in clinical oncology; (2) twelve Cancer Nanotechnology Platform 

Partnerships, which are designed to promote and support individual, circumscribed multidisciplinary 

research projects that will address major barriers and fundamental questions in cancer using innovative 

nanotechnology solutions; (3) six Cancer Nanotechnology Training Centers to educate and train 

researchers from diverse fields in the use of nanotechnology-based approaches to advance understanding of 

cancer biology and create new methods and tools for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer; 

and (4) seven K99/R00 awards to support the transition of post-doctoral scientists working on cancer 

nanotechnology from mentored environments to independence.

In 2004, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) established the Programs of Excellence 

in Nanotechnology (PENs) via a Request for Applications (RFA) with the goal of creating teams to 

develop and apply nanotechnology solutions to the diagnosis and treatment of heart, lung, blood, and 

sleep disorders. NHLBI funded four multidisciplinary PENs in spring 2005, committing $54 million over 

5 years. The program was renewed in August 2010 (NHLBI-HV-10-08) with similar goals and a greater 

focus on clinical translation. Four contracts, totaling $65 million, were funded for five years.
3. Progress Towards Achieving NNI Goals and Priorities

The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget 23

The Nanomedicine Common Fund Initiative extended several awards in 2010 that were originally made 

in 2005 and 2006. The continuing awards aim to transition novel, fundamental discoveries—made during 

the initial funding period regarding ways to precisely control and manipulate subcellular macromolecular 

assemblies—toward preclinical models relevant to specific medical conditions.

In 2010, the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), in collaboration with 

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and NCI, awarded a contract to develop 

and launch a nanomaterial registry whose primary function is to provide curated information on the 

biological and environmental interactions of well-characterized nanomaterials as well as links to associated 

publications, modeling tools, computational results, and manufacturing guidances. The nanomaterial 

registry will enable researchers to navigate among different databases and compare all types of available 

data.

NIST: NIST’s research and development program in nanotechnology is conducted primarily within its 

four laboratories and two user facilities. The NIST nanotechnology program is addressing national 

measurement needs in energy, the environment, healthcare, information technology security, 

manufacturing, and physical infrastructure, as illustrated by the following examples.

• NIST researchers are making significant advances in nanoelectronics by developing energy-efficient 

nanowire-based devices; improving fabrication processes for Si-based molecular electronic devices; 

creating methods to fabricate and test spin-based devices; elucidating key properties of graphene and 

graphene-based devices; and developing innovative ways to measure and manipulate photons in 

nanophotonic applications.

• NIST is developing atom probe measurement science to further the quantitative understanding of this 

technique and enable its broader application in technologies ranging from semiconductor and data 

storage to biotechnology and optoelectronics. New methods and instrumentation are under 

development to accurately measure nanoscale forces traceable to SI base units,7 including the 

exploration of atomic and single-molecule forces as potential intrinsic standards. NIST researchers are 

also developing novel techniques for nanoparticle metrology, such as a technology for on-chip size 

separation and measurement of nanoparticles by three-dimensional nanofluidic size exclusion, and a 

data analysis method for determining the diffusion coefficient of a single nanoparticle using a series of 

images captured by an optical microscope.

• In 2011 NIST’s Technology Innovation Program (TIP) has funded an additional $8.67 million for 

nanotechnology research and development grant awards initially funded in 2010, primarily to smalland medium-sized companies. New nanotechnology research and development grant awards 

announced in 2011 will support volume production of nanocomposite alloy anode materials for 

lithium-ion batteries and synthesis of high-efficiency organic photovoltaics for scalable, cost-effective 

manufacturing. TIP continues to solicit industry and stakeholder white papers on other areas of 

critical national need that may be addressed through nanotechnology and nanotechnology-enabled 

R&D.

NSF: NSF supports nanoscale science and engineering in all disciplines throughout all its research and 

education directorates as a means to advance discovery and innovation and integrate various fields of 

research. The NNI enables increased interdisciplinarity in research at atomic and molecular levels for 

about 5,000 active awards representing more than 10 percent of the NSF portfolio. Research areas include 

discovery and understanding of novel phenomena, quantum control, self-assembly, and basic engineering 

 7 See the base units webpage of the International System of Units (SI) official website, http://www.bipm.org/en/si/base_units/. 
3. Progress Towards Achieving NNI Goals and Priorities

24 The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget

processes at the nanoscale, as well as understanding complex and emerging behavior of nanosystems, and 

creating nanomaterials and nanosystems by design.

In 2010 NSF sponsored an international study on long-term nanotechnology research entitled,

“Nanotechnology Research Directions for Societal Needs in 2020.”8 The final report from this study

provides an assessment of nanotechnology development in the last ten years (2000–2010) and a long-term 

vision of the field in the next decade (2010–2020). This study evaluated the outcomes of national 

investments in nanotechnology R&D, as recommended in the 1999 report, “Nanotechnology Research 

Directions: A Vision for the Next Decade,”9 which was adopted as an official document of the NSTC.

USDA/FS: In 2010, the Forest Service made a one-time additional investment in nanotechnology R&D 

in the amount of $1.7 million to bring its total 2010 investment in nanotechnology R&D to $7.1 million.

The $1.7 million is invested in systems and devices that will improve the production of cellulose 

nanocrystals for research purposes to break through the bottleneck in nanocellulose research by providing 

researchers with sufficient quantities of cellulose nanocrystals research material. Specifically, this funding 

will fund purchase and installation of laboratory-scale equipment to produce two 60 pound batches per 

week of cellulose nanocrystals and nanofibrillar cellulose from wood. The equipment is expected to be 

operational in the third quarter of 2011 and will provide working quantities of nanocellulose materials to 

support public-private research and development activities within and external to FS R&D. With 

sufficient quantities of research materials available, the Forest Service will continue to build a world-class 

nanotechnology program that will significantly impact renewable nanocellulose materials research and 

downstream user industries, such as the forest products industry, chemical industry, coatings industry, 

defense industry, electronics industry, and biomedical industry, in 2012 and beyond.

USDA/NIFA: NIFA will continue supporting NNI Goals 1 and 2 through the Nanotechnology for 

Agricultural and Food Systems program in the Agricultural and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) 

competitive grants program and others. NIFA invests in nanoscale science, engineering, and technology 

research that addresses a broad range of critical challenges and opportunities facing agriculture and food 

systems. NIFA also supports innovative ideas to develop nanotechnology-enabled solutions for global food 

security through improving productivity and quality, adaptation and mitigation of agricultural production 

systems to climate changes, improving nutritional quality of foods, and development of biology-based 

products and energy solutions. The program scope includes, but is not limited to, novel uses and highvalue-added products of nano-biomaterials of agricultural origins for food and non-food applications, 

nanoscale-based sensing mechanisms and devices for reliable early detection of diseases and monitoring of 

physiological biomarkers for optimal agricultural production, precision agriculture technologies including 

ones to efficiently manage applications of agricultural chemicals and water resources, and water quality 

improvements. In addition, NIFA investments will support discovery and characterization of nanoscale 

phenomena and processes important to agricultural production species. Research on nanostructures and 

nanomaterials of great promise in agricultural production and processing is also applicable, as is research 

on applications using nanotechnology for detection and intervention to improve food safety. In addition, 

the NIFA SBIR program will continue broadly supporting innovation using nanotechnology in agriculture 

and food applications.

 8 To be published by Springer in 2011; the 2010 NSF/WTEC preprint is available at http://www.nsf.gov/nano and 

http://www.wtec.org/nano2/. 9 Springer, 2000; the 1999 WTEC preprint is available at http://www.wtec.org/loyola/nano/IWGN.Research.Directions/. 
3. Progress Towards Achieving NNI Goals and Priorities

The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget 25

USPTO: The USPTO contributes a variety of nanotechnology-related patent data, which is used as a 

benchmark to analyze nanotechnology development and for trend analysis of nanotechnology patenting 

activity in the United States and globally.

Coordinated Activities with Other Agencies and Other Institutions Contributing to Goal 1

Multiple NNI agencies, industry: The three Nanotechnology Signature Initiatives (as outlined on pages 

11–13 in Section 2 of this report) are being planned and conducted in cooperation with industry. 

NIST, other agencies, industry, universities: NIST co-sponsors workshops with a wide range of partners 

to identify measurement needs for nanotechnology. In 2010, the following workshops were held with a 

variety of co-sponsors: Wires, Whiskers, and Walls: Energy Applications at the Nanoscale; Measurement 

& Control of Chirality (the 4th Carbon Nanotube Workshop at NIST); Washington Metro Region 

Nanotech Partnership Forum; Grand Challenges for Advanced PV Technologies & Measurements; 

Nanoscale Optics, Plasmonics, and Advanced Materials; and Measurement and Characterization in 

Support of Toxicology R&D (the 4th Tri-National Workshop on Standards for Nanotechnology, 

involving Canada, Mexico, and the United States).

NSF, NIST, nanoelectronics industry: NSF and NIST have joint partnerships with the Semiconductor 

Industry Association (SIA) and the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) in support of the 

Nanoelectronics Research Initiative (NRI).

USDA/FS and industry: Recognizing the importance of nanotechnology and wood-derived cellulosic 

nanomaterials, the forest products industry and the USDA Forest Service have taken steps to establish a 

common vision and agenda focused on developing the precompetitive science and technology critical to 

the commercialization and economic use of cellulosic nanomaterials for new generations of products.

Through public–private partnering involving industry, the Federal Government, and universities, the U.S.

Forest Products Industry seeks to be the 21st century global market leader in development of science, 

technology, and new high-performance nanocellulose-enabled products. The U.S. forest products industry 

is being led in this effort by the American Forest & Paper Association’s Agenda 2020 Technology Alliance.

Establishing an industry–government–university partnership provides a way to combine interests and 

expertise to create the science and technology needed to successfully commercialize new products and 

create new jobs within the United States. Related interests and expertise include the marketing and 

focused reduction to practice skills that are inherent in industry; the public-interest-based, national 

problem-solving capacities of government; and the world-class research capabilities of universities. For 

example, use of wood-derived nano-dimensional cellulose in nanocomposites will allow the production of 

much lighter-weight, hyper-strength, multifunctional materials with widespread application in many 

industrial manufacturing sectors. Successful partnering will help to reinvent the U.S. forest products 

industry; make sustainable and efficient use of America’s abundant forest resources; improve forest health 

and condition; and revitalize rural economies.

Goal 2: Foster the transfer of new technologies into products for commercial and public 

benefit

The NNI member agencies have a number of activities uniquely targeting technology transfer and 

commercialization, e.g., workshops to gain input from industry and the academic community, SBIR and 

STTR programs to fund innovations in small businesses, and forefront research infrastructure for use by 

all nanotechnology researchers, including those from industry. Some positive results from this effort are 

now evident. 
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26 The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget

Individual Agency Contributions to Goal 2

DHS: The transition of enhanced security technology to enhance the capability of DHS operational 

agencies is of central importance to DHS. The development and application of nanoscale materials and 

devices continue to provide capability improvements to component technologies for homeland security 

applications. One example is the development of carbon nanotube x-ray sources. In collaboration with 

industry partners, DHS’s Science and Technology Directorate is actively pursuing the development and 

testing of advanced security systems that utilize component technologies with improved performance 

characteristics that result from the incorporation of nanoscale technology including carbon nanotube x-ray 

sources, as well as advanced micro- and nanoscale sensor arrays and advanced vapor preconcentrator 

systems for trace detection of explosives.

DOD: As basic understanding and knowledge associated with the nanoscale and engineered nanomaterials 

have increased, there have been more opportunities to exploit properties or processes that provide useful 

performance or capabilities. Current maturation efforts include research in consolidating nanocrystalline 

aluminum alloy 5083, conventional aluminum 5083, and boron-carbide ceramic powder to form an alloy 

called “trimodal aluminum.” The development of this alloy will produce a material that has the strength of 

steel at the weight of aluminum, a 66% weight savings. Other research is addressing the utilization of 

nanotechnologies, with an emphasis on nanostructures, to develop miniature autonomous mobile sensors 

capable of detecting trace-level molecules from hidden explosive devices.

DOD research has been successful in fostering the development and insertion of specific products. Some 

examples are (1) coatings for high-power microwave (HPM) devices based on a new cathode with 100-nm 

cesium iodide coating that reduces HPM system size, weight, and power consumption; (2) nanocomposite 

space system insulation utilizing nanostructured silicate molecules developed and commercialized for 

rocket motor insulation, which reduced rocket motor insulation weight, increased erosion resistance, and 

reduced material costs from $1,000/lb. to $20/lb.; (3) a dual-band quantum well infrared camera based on 

a unique quantum well architecture, permitting the infrared detector to operate in the long-wave/mediumwave infrared regimes, which provides a basis for development of cameras with improved sensitivity; (4) 

the “Fido” TNT sensor containing novel amplifying fluorescent polymers that sense ultratrace 

concentrations of nitroaromatics, leading to production of the first man-made sensor that has the 

sensitivity to detect buried landmines by their chemical signature and that can be incorporated in a manportable detector; and (5) nanostructured alumina/titania coatings that provide improved wear-resistance

for bearings and valves, increasing coating lifetimes from hours to years, based on predictive analysis.

DOD has successfully used biological templates to direct the synthesis and assembly of bimetallic 

nanoparticles. The performance of these nanoparticles was demonstrated as a conductive lubricant in 

microelectromechanical-based electrical switches at high current with no failure through one million hotswitching cycles. The size, shape, and composition of engineered nanoparticles must be carefully 

controlled during manufacture to give the needed optical, electronic, catalytic, and mechanical properties. 

It has recently been shown that biological molecules, such as peptide chains containing up to 20 selected 

amino acid molecules, can be used to synthesize engineered nanoparticles. This biosynthesis approach 

provides a simple, flexible, real-time manufacturing capability that can produce a wide array of engineered 

nanoparticles in the field in response to locally identified needs. Potential applications include 

dechlorination of drinking water, decontamination of nerve agents, and electrically conductive lubricants.

A nanoparticle composite of zinc and carbon has been developed that self-heats via electrochemical 

oxidation when exposed to air. The heater was developed to heat the standard operational ration meal 

ready-to-eat (MRE) used by troops in the field.
3. Progress Towards Achieving NNI Goals and Priorities

The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget 27

Numerous electron spin-based devices have been demonstrated, including the first spin-polarized lightemitting diode (LED) and the first spin-polarized quantum dot vertical cavity surface-emitting laser. In a 

significant advance toward technically viable spin-based electronic devices, the capability has been 

demonstrated to efficiently inject a current of spin-polarized electrons from an iron thin-film contact 

through an aluminum oxide (Al2O3) tunnel barrier into silicon (Si), producing large electron spin 

polarization. This is a key enabling step for developing Si-based electronic devices, which are expected to 

provide higher performance with lower power consumption and heat generation.

Ultraporous carbon nanofoam papers have been developed. The papers’ interior structures can be covered 

with ultrathin (<50 nm) coatings of a metal oxide (MnO2 or FeOx), using low-cost, scalable electroless 

deposition methods. The nanoscale metal oxide coating serves as a charge-storage bank, facilitated by ionelectron reactions involving cations from the electrolyte and electrons from the supporting carbon 

nanofoam structure. This is an essential step toward achieving high-charge discharge rates in high-energydensity batteries.

DOD-funded research has provided a process to deposit approximately 3-nm thick, electronically 

conductive layers of ruthenium oxide (RuO2) onto curved silicon dioxide (SiO2) fiber surfaces to achieve 

the vaunted electrical and electrochemical properties associated with ruthenium at lower cost. Because the 

volume fraction of ruthenium (expensive) is limited to <0.1%, this capability will provide significant cost 

savings.

DOE/ARPA-E: As indicated under Goal 1, ARPA-E is involved in creating and developing multiple 

R&D efforts that involve nanoscale science and engineering. The statutory goal of ARPA-E is to create 

revolutionary energy technologies that could have large commercial impact. Hence, translating 

developments in science and engineering into commercially viable energy technologies is key to ARPA-E’s 

success. ARPA-E has created a dedicated commercialization team to help enable the transfer of new energy 

technologies into commercially viable businesses. Most ARPA-E projects contain commercialization 

milestones that the teams must reach. About 33% of ARPA-E funding goes to universities, 37% to small 

businesses, 20% to R&D labs in large businesses, 5% to national laboratories, and the rest to non-profits.

In its 1.5-year existence, ARPA-E initially has invested $151 million in its first round of funding in such 

new technologies. It is important to note that within one year, the private sector investment into these 

technologies has already exceeded $151 million, which suggests rapid leveraging of Federal funding for 

commercial benefit. This spans the gamut of energy technologies: fuel synthesis, advanced batteries for 

transportation and grid-level storage, grid infrastructure, energy efficiency in buildings and industry, and 

stationary power generation. In March 2010, ARPA-E launched the first Energy Innovation Summit, 

which showcased not only ARPA-E funded technologies but also those that ARPA-E could not fund. This 

led to significant commercialization opportunities for various technologies. Based on this success, ARPA-E 

plans to continue the annual Summit to promote in its commercialization effort.

DOE/EERE: The Department of Energy supports nanotechnology transfer, industrial manufacturing 

activities, and commercialization through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and its 

Industrial Technologies Program (ITP). In 2012, ITP’s nanomanufacturing efforts will continue to 

translate the U.S. investment in nanotechnology to the industrial sector through nanomaterials production 

scale-up. Nanomaterial fabrication within the ITP portfolio will focus on applications for renewable power 

generation and energy storage, pollution prevention, and coatings to improve component wear resistance. 

Of note are advances in superhydrophobic coatings—which hold the promise of reducing the energy 

needed to pump liquids through pipes and reduce ice accumulation on power lines—and work on 

nanoscale coatings to reduce turbine blade erosion and maintain engine efficiency.
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28 The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget

The DOE/EERE Solar Energy Technology Program (SETP) is likewise committed to fostering the 

transfer of nanotechnologies from the lab bench to innovative commercial products. The new PV 

Manufacturing Initiative was launched in 2011, and is devoted to supporting collaborative manufacturing 

focused R&D. The successful PV Technology Incubator program funds projects developing prototype PV 

components and systems and overcoming barriers to commercialization. A hallmark of the program is 

establishing close collaborations between awardees and scientists at national labs. Since 2007, DOE has 

awarded $50 million to support the program, which has leveraged an estimated $1.2 billion in private 

investments, delivering a 24-to-1 private-to-public investment ratio for U.S. taxpayers. Meanwhile, 

ongoing SETP program activities in the areas of systems integration and market transformation work to 

eliminate both technical and non-technical barriers to product commercialization.

NASA: In 2012, NASA will increase its investment in nanomanufacturing-related R&D by $5 million, for 

a total of $7.3 million, more than triple its 2010 investment. This is in direct support of Objective 2.1 in 

the 2011 NNI Strategic Plan and the recommendation of the 2010 PCAST evaluation of the NNI to 

double the NNI investment in nanomanufacturing.

NIST: NIST has invented a new nanoscale measurement method, through-focus scanning optical 

microscopy, which enables a conventional optical microscope to be used for three-dimensional metrology 

with nanoscale lateral and vertical resolution. This cost-efficient measurement method was a winner of a 

2010 R&D 100 Award by R&D Magazine. NIST is also developing and disseminating the next generation 

of electrical resistance standards that exploit the unique quantum properties of graphene at the nanoscale.

NRC: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is focused in part on confirmatory research to 

verify the safe application of new technologies in the civilian nuclear industry. Currently the agency’s focus 

for nanotechnology is to monitor developments that might be applied within the nuclear industry in order 

that the NRC can carry out its oversight role.

NSF: The agency is strengthening its contributions to translational innovation programs, including AIR 

(Accelerating Innovation Research), GOALI (Grant Opportunities for Advancing Liaison with Industry), 

PFI (Partnerships for Innovation), and IUCRC (Industry University Cooperative Research Centers). NSF 

is also supporting partnerships with industry in centers—including NSECs, Materials Research Science 

and Engineering Centers (MRSECs), the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN), and 

the Network for Computational Nanotechnology (NCN)—as well as partnerships with U.S. small 

businesses and large companies for projects on fundamental research with long-term goals of interest to 

industry. There is an increased focus on energy conversion and storage, cyber-physical systems, and 

synthetic biology research and education.

USPTO: The transfer of new nanotechnology-related technologies into products for commercial and 

public benefit depends on effective mechanisms that protect new ideas and investments in innovation and 

creativity. The United States Patent and Trademark Office is at the cutting edge of the nation's 

technological progress as the Federal agency responsible for granting patents, registering trademarks, and 

providing intellectual property policy advice and guidance to the Executive Branch. The USPTO has put 

in place several initiatives to keep pace with the rapid advances being made in nanotechnology.

The USPTO hosts a nanotechnology customer partnership forum that provides a mechanism for USPTO 

officials and patent stakeholders to share concerns and information related to the patenting of 

nanotechnology. The agency provides in-depth nanotechnology-specific training events for patent 

examiners to enhance the technical knowledge base of USPTO examiners. As a result of this ongoing 

training initiative and targeted hiring of patent examiners with specific nanotechnology experience, the 
3. Progress Towards Achieving NNI Goals and Priorities

The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget 29

USPTO has a subset of patent examiners across all technology disciplines who serve as points-of-contact to 

assist other examiners with nanotechnology issues related to patent examining.

Coordinated Activities with Other Agencies and Other Institutions Contributing to Goal 2

NNI member agencies and international standards bodies: Technical experts from multiple agencies, 

including DOD, DOE, EPA, FDA, NCI, NIOSH, NIST, and USDA/FS, are working to develop 

international documentary standards in nanotechnology through the International Organization for 

Standardization (ISO), as coordinated by the American National Standards Institute’s U.S. Technical 

Advisory Group to ISO TC229 (Nanotechnologies). The Federal agencies’ Interagency Committee on 

Standards Policy, chaired by NIST, provides an additional forum for information exchange and 

coordination on standards policy issues relating to nanotechnology. NNI agencies are also participating in 

standards development activities within ASTM International’s Committee E56 (Nanotechnology), the 

International Electrotechnical Commission Technical Committee 113 (Nanotechnology Standardization 

for Electrical and Electronics Products and Systems), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics

Engineers’ Nanotechnology Council in developing nanotechnology-related documentary standards. This 

close cooperation with the American National Standards Institute helps NNI member agencies provide 

input reflecting U.S. priorities in the international standards arena. 

NNI member agencies, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): The 

Department of State chaired the OECD Working Party on Nanotechnology (WPN) to advise on 

emerging policy issues in science, technology, and innovation related to the responsible development and 

use of nanotechnology. The WPN is assessing business environments, international research collaboration 

and coordination, available indicators and statistics, and approaches to public engagement. NNI agencies 

are also playing a leading role in OECD’s Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials (WPMN).

DOD, DOE, EPA, IC, NASA, NIH, NIST, NIOSH/OSHA, NSF, and USDA/FS: These agencies are 

collaborating in the signature initiative Sustainable Nanomanufacturing—Creating the Industries of the 

Future.

IC/DNI, other NNI agencies, industry: The NRO is currently enabling engineering samples of carbon 

nanotube radio frequency (RF) coaxial cables for commercial aircraft, and for several spacecraft to reduce 

launch cost, because CNT materials make lighter, higher-performance RF cable assemblies. Once certified, 

all copper cables can be replaced with CNT coaxial cables.

IC/DNI and other NNI agencies: The NRO has established a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with 

the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Director, Defense Research and Engineering’s Defense Production 

Act Title III to expand volume nanomanufacturing of carbon nanotube sheets and threads that are 

essential for national defense.

IC/DNI, NASA, Air Force, industry: NASA Glen Research Center is assisting NRO by growing indium 

arsenide (InAs) quantum dots for 35% efficiency space solar cells with EMCOR and Rochester Institute of 

Technology, which has a NASA Space Act agreement. The Air Force Research Laboratory is also cofunding this project.

IC/DNI and Air Force: Air Force Space Command’s Space and Missile Center is co-funding research on 

an initial nanomanufacturing of nanoelectronics for space with the NRO. This includes research for 

carbon nanotube nonvolatile memory and a 70 gigaflop digital signal processor for space.

NIST and NSF: A 2011 workshop at NIST, “The New Steel? Enabling the Carbon Nanomaterials 

Revolution: Markets, Metrology, Safety, and Scale-up,” will support NNI efforts to identify technical 
3. Progress Towards Achieving NNI Goals and Priorities

30 The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget

challenges to the commercial development of high-performance, carbon-based nanomaterials, and to 

facilitate the formation of a public–private partnership to address those challenges.

NIST and industry: Under a cooperative research and development agreement, NIST and FEI Company

are developing a more versatile ion source for use in focused ion beams. Based on the NIST magnetooptical trap ion source (MOTIS), the new technology will enable new sources of ions to be routinely used 

in focused ion beams for high-resolution imaging and fabrication. NIST is also working with the 

refrigeration and air-conditioning industries to develop nanoengineered lubricants as a cost-effective 

technology to improve the efficiency of chillers that cool large buildings (which consume 3% of all U.S. 

energy).

NSF, other NNI agencies, industry: NSF and other agencies are co-sponsoring workshops on research 

directions, including roadmapping workshops in support of signature initiatives, in cooperation with 

industrial partners. Collaborative NNI interagency efforts to develop interactions with industry sectors 

include working with the electronics industry, the wood and paper industry, and the food and agriculture

industries.

NSF, other NNI agencies, regional, state, and local nanotechnology initiatives: NSF worked

cooperatively in 2010–2011 to finalize and publish a report from the NNI workshop, “Regional, State and 

Local Initiatives in Nanotechnology.”10

USDA/NIFA, Canada AFMNet, NSF, NIH, EPA, NIST, USDA/FS: USDA/NIFA and the Canada 

Advanced Food and Materials Network held their second annual joint grantees’ conference in 

Washington, DC, December 10–11, 2010. Multiple agencies of the NNI, as listed, supported the 

conference by providing keynote speeches to highlight the research, education, and outreach achievements; 

vision and directions; and potential collaborative opportunities.

USPTO, other NNI agencies, international patent offices: The USPTO developed, and now maintains, 

the first fully expanded patent-related nanotechnology classification schedule (Class 977) of any major 

intellectual property office in the world. The USPTO continues working with the European and Japan 

Patent Offices to develop a common International Patent Classification (IPC) scheme for nanotechnology 

based upon the USPTO schedule. This effort includes the consideration of a harmonized definition of 

nanotechnology as it relates to patent examination.

Goal 3: Develop and sustain educational resources, a skilled workforce, and the 

supporting infrastructure and tools to advance nanotechnology

Significant progress is being made on all three aspects of Goal 3 (development and sustaining of 

educational resources, skilled workforce, and supporting infrastructure and tools). With respect to 

education and workforce development, education is among the chief objectives of NNI-funded university 

research. In addition, specific programs targeted at K–16 education, educating the public about 

nanotechnology, and improving nanotechnology curricula in U.S. schools and universities have been 

initiated and are growing in scale and reach. Details are provided in the following text. The extensive 

network of research centers, user facilities, and other infrastructure for nanotechnology research, which 

was a key element of the original NNI strategy, is now largely complete.11

 10 See http://www.nano.gov/html/res/pubs.html. 11 See a detailed discussion of the U.S. NNI infrastructure in the NNI Supplement to the President’s FY 2008 Budget, 

http://www.nano.gov/NNI_08Budget.pdf, including a map that shows the location of all the centers, networks, and user facilities 

(p. 21) and a list of participating academic institutions and national laboratories (pp. 29–33). For an updated list, see also: 

http://www.nano.gov/html/centers/nnicenters.html. 
3. Progress Towards Achieving NNI Goals and Priorities

The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget 31

Individual Agency Contributions to Goal 3

DHS: The DHS, Science and Technology Directorate maintains active RDT&E programs through the 

DHS Centers of Excellence that support this goal by providing direct program interactions with the 

academic community. Current activities in the development of novel detection technologies, forensic 

analytical methods, and canine training aids all benefit from advances in nanomaterials.

DOD: The DOD Basic Research Sciences Programs have an important mission to produce not only 

research products but also the future research and engineering workforce that will continue to extend our 

knowledge frontiers and apply that knowledge toward improving defense capabilities and meeting societal 

needs. This is accompanied by specific research in projects that improve our ability to do research itself 

through advanced instrumentation and novel techniques. Some examples of such research follow.

• DOD tools research has provided an instrument that combines the imaging capability of scanning 

probe microscopy with the nanomechanical measurement capabilities of instrumented indentation to 

create a capability to image variation of mechanical properties and topography within a test specimen. 

This tool will enable researchers to probe the mechanisms that determine response of nanocomposites 

to stress at the appropriate length scales, ultimately guiding the design of more efficient structural 

composites for realistic naval applications.

• DOD manufacturing tools efforts are developing a direct-write, multibeam, electron beam 

lithography tool with sub-10-nm spot size control that will address the DOD’s need for affordable, 

high-performance, low-volume integrated circuits (ICs) and the commercial market’s need for highly 

customized, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) in maskless direct-write nanolithography 

for defense applications. These tools will provide a cost-effective technology for low-volume 

nanoelectromechanical systems and nanophotonics initiatives within the DOD.

• A major obstacle to the realization of nanotube capabilities has been the lack of approaches for the 

mass production of high-quality and high-uniformity carbon nanotubes and for organizing them into 

useful architectures for further evaluation. DOD research has been focused on developing a templateassisted chemical vapor deposition method to produce a highly ordered array of high-quality carbon 

nanotubes of controlled diameter, length, and spacing on an Si substrate. This new material system 

gives a broadly enabling platform for future multispectral infrared and biochemical sensing 

applications as well as a template for researchers. This capability is important for miniaturization and 

for providing new sensing capabilities.

IC/DNI: The NRO plans on competitively selecting more post-doctoral researchers to work on 

nanotechnology challenges. It currently has two (2010-2012) and will add two more in both 2011 and 

2012 for a total of six.

NASA: The Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT) began a new initiative in 2011 with the goal of 

creating a pipeline of highly skilled scientists and engineers needed for NASA’s and the nation’s 

technological future. The Space Technology Research Fellowship Program provides up to two years of 

funding for Master’s degree students and four years of funding for PhD candidates in science, engineering, 

technology, and mathematics and gives them the opportunity to work with scientists and engineers at 

NASA research centers to conduct research in support of the fourteen technology areas identified by OCT 

(see Goal 1 discussion). While the exact number of nanotechnology-related fellowships to be funded in 

2011 and 2012 has not been determined, it is anticipated that the new fellowships will be a significant 

component of this program.
3. Progress Towards Achieving NNI Goals and Priorities

32 The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget

NIH: With the renewal of the NCI’s Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer program, the training 

component has been expanded to include Cancer Nanotechnology Training Centers (CNTCs) and 

Pathway to Independence Awards in Cancer Nanotechnology Research (K99/R00). The funded CNTCs 

will target graduate-student and post-doctoral researchers with broad backgrounds (in medicine, biology, 

and other health sciences as well as in the physical sciences, chemistry, and engineering). Although

initiated in September 2010, both programs are expected to continue through August 2015. The program 

of multidisciplinary research education in cancer nanotechnology will primarily focus on mentored 

training, usually from multiple investigators in different disciplines, through laboratory-based research 

projects. In addition, centers will offer both short courses and workshops as well as outreach experiences. 

Given the challenges that senior post-doctoral fellows face in finishing projects and establishing themselves 

as independent investigators, the program has invested in funding several Pathway to Independence 

awardees. These trainees will benefit not only from their direct mentors but from the more informal 

mentoring and interaction at PI (principal investigator) meetings across the alliance.

NIST: As part of the expansion of the cold neutron measurement capability at the NIST Center for 

Neutron Research, a new neutron reflectometer is being constructed that will provide researchers with an 

unparalleled view of the nanoscale structure of multilayer systems—systems that are used, for example, in 

magnetic storage media. Using a novel neutron reflectometry instrument design, scientists will be able to 

characterize the detailed three-dimensional structure of numerous materials of technological relevance.

The Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology in 2010 made over $20 million of ARRA investments 

in new instrumentation that in 2011 will add new capabilities available for characterization of charge and 

matter transport in energy storage and conversion devices, focused ion beam nanofabrication and analysis, 

transmission electron microscopy, and optical lithography.

NSF: In 2012, NSF programs will support the training and education in nanoscale science and 

engineering of about 10,000 students and teachers. NSF is expanding the outreach of the National Center 

for Nanotechnology Applications and Career Knowledge (NACK, main node at The Pennsylvania State 

University) to other educational clusters and states.

USDA/NIFA: NIFA higher education programs will continue to support curriculum development, 

capacity building, and student fellowship and training in areas where nanotechnology has been emerging 

as an important topic.

Coordinated Activities with Other Agencies and Institutions Contributing to Goal 3

NIH and GRC: The NCI is organizing the first annual Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Cancer 

Nanotechnology, which will be held in Waterville, ME, during the week of July 17–22, 2011. The 

Gordon Research Conferences have a long-standing tradition of excellence in hosting meetings whose 

topics are on the frontiers of science and whose speakers are leaders in their field. The GRC Cancer 

Nanotechnology meeting will bring together an outstanding and diverse group of scientists from the 

clinical, biological, and physical sciences as well as post-doctoral fellows and graduate students.

NIST and University of Maryland: In 2010 NIST awarded a five-year cooperative agreement totaling $15 

million to the University of Maryland, College Park, for a postdoctoral researcher and visiting fellow in 

the Measurement Science and Engineering Program at the NIST Center for Nanoscale Science and 

Technology. The program is providing new research opportunities for established U.S. industrial, 

university, and government scientists, along with training for the next generation of nanotechnologists 

through opportunities to work directly with CNST scientists and engineers on the development of 

nanoscale measurement and fabrication methods and technologies.
3. Progress Towards Achieving NNI Goals and Priorities

The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget 33

NSF and other NNI agencies: Cooperative programs by NSF, DOE (Sandia National Laboratories), 

NIST, DOD, and NIH provide support for student fellowship programs in various areas of 

nanotechnology.

Goal 4: Support responsible development of nanotechnology

The NNI has made significant progress towards realizing the goal of supporting responsible development 

of nanotechnology. Funding for nanotechnology-related EHS research continues to increase at a rate far in 

excess of the overall NNI budget growth rate, growing from $35 million in 2005 to $124 million in the 

2012 request. This is only counting the narrowly defined primary purpose EHS R&D, although many 

other research programs also bear on EHS work. The NNI agencies have developed a comprehensive 

interagency strategy to move EHS investments forward effectively, in line with the roles and 

responsibilities of the respective agencies involved. The NNI also maintains a strong portfolio of research 

on ethical, legal, and other societal implications (ELSI) of nanotechnology, along with support for 

innovative approaches to nanotechnology education at all levels, from K–12 though graduate education 

and public outreach.

Individual Agency Contributions to Goal 4

DHS: DHS investments will continue to focus on the enhancement of security systems through 

application of advancements in nanoscience and related technology areas. All technology developments are 

evaluated through rigorous independent and operational testing programs to ensure safety and 

performance. DHS supports the interagency focus on safety and health concerns associated with advancing 

nanotechnology.

DOD: Although the DOD has not been the lead agency in the environmental, health, and safety areas of 

research, it has continued to support projects that relate to EHS issues in its mission portfolio. It is 

working closely with the NSET Subcommittee and its working groups, including the Nanotechnology 

Environmental and Health Implications Working Group, and is actively seeking additional collaborative 

opportunities in this area with other Federal agencies. DOD considers environmental, health, and safety 

issues to be intrinsic and pervasive in all nanotechnology research and in the responsible application of 

nanotechnology to products. As an example, the Air Force has developed compulsory guidelines for the 

safe handling of nanomaterials and for performing research associated with nanotechnology.12

Furthermore, DOD has been investing in the development and use of nanotechnology and nanomaterials 

for the mitigation of hazards, both of the materials themselves and of other potentially bad actors in the 

environment. Two examples of such research follow.

• DOD projects are developing computational methods for predicting the physical and chemical 

properties of DNA-coated nanoparticles. These methods will replace current trial-and-error 

approaches and enable the a priori design of nanostructured materials with tailored characteristics, 

such as molecular recognition, catalysis, and signal transduction. Currently funded programs include 

the design of artificial membranes and synthetic receptors that will be used to construct robust sensors 

for chemical, biological, explosive, and radiological detection.

• DOD research in protection and hazard mitigation is developing the capability to not only detect and 

decontaminate a hazardous agent, but also to send a signal that it has done so. One project area that 

merges nanotechnology with information technology is the Smart Hazard Mitigation system. The goal 

is for this “smart” threat agent detection and mitigation system to be designed so that a sensor 

 12 Nanomaterial Safety Guidelines, Air Force Research Laboratory/Applied Biotechnology Branch (AFRL/RHPB) Operating 

Instruction ESOH 111, 14 November 2007.
3. Progress Towards Achieving NNI Goals and Priorities

34 The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget

generates a response that acts to decontaminate, detoxify, or sequester the agent and then signals the 

response to an observer system. Nanotechnology is an enabler for this application because several 

approaches exist for nanoscale technologies to effectively decontaminate hazards at the molecular scale. 

For example, a porphyrin encapsulated in a metal-organic framework is designed to decontaminate a 

threat agent and also send a signal.

EPA: EPA’s nanotechnology research is principally focused on supporting NNI Goal 4. The 2012 

President’s Budget request will further EPA’s generation of decision-support information to promote the 

safe development, use, and disposal/recycling of products that contain manufactured nanoscale materials. 

EPA is investigating how nanomaterials behave in the environment, and how nanomaterial properties may 

be modified or exposure controls implemented to minimize and manage potential risks from products 

containing nanomaterials. Research using green chemistry and life-cycle assessment approaches will be 

conducted to inform a more sustainable approach to nanomaterial production. For example, EPA research 

will inform decisions on how to minimize inputs, including energy usage, during the production of 

nanomaterials. EPA is currently developing a more integrated, transdisciplinary approach to its research on 

chemicals and chemical safety. This approach will include research on nanomaterials and will help to 

inform how EPA identifies and addresses high-priority research needs related to the responsible 

development of nanotechnology.

EPA’s Nanomaterial Research Strategy13 guides EPA’s nanomaterial research. The strategy builds on and is 

consistent with the scientific needs identified the EPA Nanotechnology White Paper (2007)14 and the 

draft 2011 NNI nanoEHS Strategy.15

Since 2001, EPA has played a leading role in supporting research and setting research directions to develop 

beneficial environmental applications for nanotechnology as well as to understand the potential human 

health and environmental implications of nanotechnology. EPA has provided this leadership in its own 

research laboratories and centers, and through its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) grant program and 

contracts to small businesses under its Small Business Innovation Research program. The STAR and SBIR 

programs have resulted in the development of a cadre of highly skilled researchers with expertise in the 

area of environmental nanotechnology.

As the use of nanomaterials increases, EPA will continue to determine how to best leverage advances in 

nanotechnology to enhance public health and environmental protection, as well as improve scientific 

knowledge to understand and avoid any possible adverse impacts of nanomaterials on the environment. 

The goal is to foster technological advances that maximize benefits to society by minimizing 

environmental impacts.

FDA: FDA investments will continue to enable the agency to address questions related to the safety, 

effectiveness, and/or regulatory status of products that contain nanomaterials or otherwise involve the use 

of nanotechnology. For 2012, FDA will continue to conduct activities in PCA 7 (environment, health, 

and safety).

NIH: NIEHS has increased its investment in EHS research by starting a new program of grants in 

response to RFA ES-09-011: Engineered Nanomaterials: Linking Physical and Chemical Properties to 

Biology (U19) to improve our fundamental understanding of how physical and chemical properties of 

engineered nanomaterials influence interactions with biological systems and elicit biological responses. A 

 13 See http://www.epa.gov/nanoscience. 14 See http://www.epa.gov/osa/pdfs/nanotech/epa-nanotechnology-whitepaper-0207.pdf. 15 See http://www.nano.gov/html/society/EHS.html. 
3. Progress Towards Achieving NNI Goals and Priorities

The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget 35

contract has been established to provide comprehensive physicochemical characterization of nanomaterials 

for those grants by NCI’s Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory. An additional contract supports 

collaboration among NIEHS, NIBIB and NCI to establish the Nano Registry, a curated nanomaterials 

registry for information on biological and environmental interactions of well-characterized nanomaterials.

NIOSH: In 2011 and 2012, NIOSH will reorient its investment in nanotechnology research by 

enhancing the following programmatic areas:

Nanotoxicology and Risk Assessment: NIOSH scientists have published breakthrough results on the biologic 

behavior of carbon nanotubes, demonstrating pulmonary effects in laboratory animals and disruption of 

normal cell division in human epithelial cells. The potential health implications of this research for

humans are unknown and will be a focus of investigation in 2011 and 2012. Areas of investigation

include:

• Evaluating and identifying modes of biological action at the molecular level

• Evaluating various types of carbon nanotubes and other nanomaterials with high potential for 

commercialization that may not have been evaluated in previous studies or that have not been 

evaluated at the nanoscale

• Developing new lung deposition models to predict behavior of carbon nanotubes and fibers so that 

realistic risk estimates can be developed

Exposure Assessment and Controls: In 2010 and into early 2011, NIOSH increased its nanotechnology field 

research effort by adding two new elements: a field investigation focused on assessing worker exposure to 

carbonaceous nanomaterials; and a combined field and laboratory investigation of the effectiveness of 

engineering controls used to mitigate worker exposure to nanomaterials. Areas of investigation include:

• Increased effort to conduct worker exposure assessments with nanomaterials that have not been 

evaluated by the EHS community: nanoclays, nanocrystaline cellulose, nanosilver (various forms), 

metal and metal-oxide nanowires, high-volume use of quantum dots

• Focused research on developing air sampling and analytical detection methods for nanomaterials at 

various stages in their life cycles

• Continued research to develop and evaluate new instrumental methods of detecting airborne particles 

in the nanometer range and to demonstrate the concept of a personal, real-time nanoparticle detector

NIST: NIST is developing measurement tools to determine physico-chemical and toxicological properties 

of key engineered nanomaterials in relevant media (e.g., air, water, blood, tissue), enable detection of 

nanomaterials in such media, and assess transformations and release of these nanomaterials during 

manufacturing processes and from products throughout full product life cycles. In 2011 and 2012 NIST 

plans to develop transferable methods to characterize molecular adsorbates on nanomaterial surfaces, and 

develop measurement tools to determine the concentration of nanosilver and its ions in relevant media and 

products. NIST also plans to release reference materials important for EHS studies of engineered 

nanomaterials, including carbon nanotubes, titanium dioxide nanoparticles, and silver nanoparticles.

NSF: NSF supports research that focuses on analyzing implications of the next generations of 

nanotechnology products and productive processes, as well as public participation in nanotechnologyrelated activities, at the NSECs on societal dimensions at Arizona State University (ASU) and University 

of California Santa Barbara (UCSB).

NSF’s Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE) will support a range of programs focused 

on catalyzing new international collaborations and engaging junior researchers in international research 
3. Progress Towards Achieving NNI Goals and Priorities

36 The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget

activities at an early stage in their careers. In addition, the Partnerships for International Research and 

Education (PIRE) program makes multimillion dollar awards designed to build strong international 

research and education partnerships, support research excellence through international collaboration, 

provide strong international research experiences for U.S. researchers, and foster the internationalization of 

U.S. institutions in science and engineering fields. Funding for nanotechnology activities will be done in 

competition with other projects. All current OISE programs support multiple projects in this area.

USDA/FS: For 2012, the Forest Service plans to broaden its nanotechnology research to investigate 

environmental, health, and safety issues and societal implications of renewable nanocellulose materials and 

their applications in downstream user industries.

USDA/NIFA: NIFA will support Goal 4 in the development of methods to evaluate the risk assessment of 

nanoparticles or the actual assessment of nanoparticles to ensure responsible development of 

nanotechnology applications. The AFRI program in Physical and Molecular Mechanisms of Food 

Contamination will seek proposals to elucidate the physical and molecular mechanisms of unintended 

engineered nanoparticles, food-borne pathogens or toxins, and chemical contaminants that may attach 

onto and internalize into fresh food crops and nuts; and develop detection methods to evaluate exposure 

to potential food safety hazards in fresh food crops. In addition, the funded research in the AFRI 

Emerging Food Safety Issues program area will characterize the toxicity, accumulation, and trophic 

transfer of nanomaterials by agricultural crops, including potential impacts on coexisting contaminants, 

and will explore potential risks to humans from exposure through food chain contamination.

USGS: The U.S. Geological Survey continues to work on understanding the fate and effects of 

nanoparticles in aquatic organisms. 

Coordinated Activities with other Agencies and Institutions Contributing to Goal 4 

DOD and other NNI agencies: DOD has been collaborating with the NSET Subcommittee’s 

Nanotechnology Environmental and Health Implications Working Group and with other organizations in 

strategic planning and in mitigating the potential harmful effects of engineered nanomaterials and 

nanoscale processes.

The Army Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) is currently collaborating

with the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) on multiple efforts for weaponry safety and insensitive munitions 

utilizing nanomaterial-based propellants and for developing nanosensors for detecting radiation and 

temperature that offer high performance in extremely harsh environments. AMRDEC is also collaborating 

with MDA on research for weaponry life extension by developing carbon-fiber composites based on a 

nanoparticle polymer system in which self-healing and morphing properties restore damaged skins to their 

original condition. 

EPA, NSF, USDA, CPSC, United Kingdom, OECD: EPA collaborates in both funding and conducting 

research with other Federal agencies, as well as international organizations, by issuing joint grant 

solicitations with other governments. Specifically, EPA’s STAR Program has issued joint solicitations with 

the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In addition, EPA, CPSC, and 

the United Kingdom awarded 6 grants in 2010 under a joint international solicitation. EPA researchers 

also coordinate and collaborate with other nations in the international testing program being conducted 

under the auspices of the OECD’s Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials.

FDA, other NNI agencies, international organizations: FDA continues to foster and develop 

collaborative relationships with other Federal agencies through the NNI, as well as with sister regulatory 
3. Progress Towards Achieving NNI Goals and Priorities

The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget 37

agencies, international organizations, healthcare professionals, industry, consumers, and other 

stakeholders.

NIST, FDA, EPA, NIOSH, CPSC: Agencies are coordinating the development of benchmark data, 

measurement methods, and prototype reference materials for nanosilver for EHS assessments of products 

containing nanosilver.

NIST, EPA, NIOSH, CPSC, CDC, OSHA, industry: In 2011 agencies and industry representatives will 

hold a workshop focused on the release of nanomaterials from products, and agencies will hold a joint 

U.S.-EU workshop on nanotechnology-related EHS research.

NIST, NSF, DOE, EPA, IC, NIH, NIOSH, OSHA, USDA/FS: These agencies are working together on 

the NNI Signature Initiative on Sustainable Nanomanufacturing. Goal 4-related aspects of the initiative 

include development of nanomaterials and nanomanufacturing processes that are sustainable and safe by 

design, as well as analysis of the potential impacts of these materials and processes across their full life

cycles. For example, in 2010 and 2011, NIOSH continued existing collaborations or created new formal 

working relationships with key NNI agencies and external collaborators to develop effective EHS risk 

management methods to support responsible development of nanomaterial manufacturing processes.

NIOSH has also entered into formal collaborations with the NSF-funded Center for High-Rate 

Nanomanufacturing at Northeastern University and with other NNI research centers to develop risk 

management practices for nanomanufacturing and to explore incorporating “prevention through design” 

principles into life-cycle management of nanomaterials.

NIOSH, other NNI agencies, universities, industry: In 2010 and 2011, NIOSH continued existing 

collaborations or created new formal working relationships with key NNI agencies and external 

collaborators to develop effective EHS risk management methods to support responsible development of 

nanomaterial manufacturing processes:

• NIOSH entered into an Interagency Agreement with OSHA to investigate potential worker exposure 

in businesses manufacturing or using nanomaterials; evaluate control technologies and risk 

management methods; evaluate the use of control banding as a risk management method; and develop 

case studies on the application of “prevention through design” principles to nanomanufacturing 

processes.

• NIOSH renewed an Interagency Agreement with NIEHS/National Toxicology Program (new term of 

2011–2013) to conduct visits to nanomanufacturing facilities and investigate potential worker 

exposure to nanomaterials that have not been previously evaluated. In the first three years of the 

agreement, NIOSH visited 24 sites and evaluated over ten different nanomaterials in processes 

ranging from basic research laboratories to high-volume production. Following every NIOSH site 

visit, the organization reassessed and issued a comprehensive report of findings, measurements, 

observations, and recommendations, all in support of developing good risk management practices.

• NIOSH has entered into two separate interagency agreements with the CPSC. In the first, NIOSH 

was able to characterize the aerosol released by a nanoscale TiO2-based spray bathroom disinfectant 

and conduct animal toxicology testing of the product. The intent was to simulate consumer use, 

characterize the aerosol, and measure the exposure during use so CPSC could gain a better 

understanding of user exposure and possible risk. The second agreement focuses on determining 

bioavailability of nanosilver.

• During 2010 and into 2011, NIOSH and the Department of Defense created a framework 

memorandum for cooperation between the two agencies to evaluate exposures to nanomaterials, assess 

the effectiveness of controls, develop risk management procedures, investigate the use of control 
3. Progress Towards Achieving NNI Goals and Priorities

38 The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget

banding for some pilot projects, and demonstrate the effectiveness of using prevention through design 

on new nanomaterial processes.

• Collaborations with EPA have been more informal yet very productive. NIOSH participates with EPA 

on the Spray-Applied Nanomaterials work group. Briefings on NIOSH’s workplace field efforts have 

been held to provide EPA with guidance on current practices being used by the nanomaterials 

business community.

• NIOSH has entered into a formal Memorandum of Understanding with the College of Nanoscale 

Science and Engineering (CNSE) at the State University of New York at Albany. Key program 

activities conducted under this agreement include collaboration with CNSE to develop effective risk 

management practices for nanomaterials used during semiconductor fabrication; development and 

evaluation of effective exposure mitigation practices during synthesis and pilot manufacturing of 

nanomaterials; and introducing “prevention through design” principles into a major capital project at 

CNSE. The agreement between NIOSH and CNSE creates collaboration opportunities with the 

SEMATECH consortium for the development of good risk management practices for the 

incorporation of nanomaterials in semiconductor fabrication and next-generation, nanomaterial-based 

photovoltaic manufacturing.

• NIOSH has established a formal working agreement with the Center for Multifunctional Polymer 

Nanomaterials and Devices (CMPND): Collaboration efforts with the center’s member companies 

has focused on comprehensive evaluation of manufacturing processes, assessing worker exposures,

evaluating exposure control methods and making recommendations for improvement, incorporating 

safe and sustainable design in facilities and processes, and providing an effective risk management 

framework suitable for small start-up businesses.

• Ongoing collaborations and a formal relationship between NIOSH and the NSF-funded Center for 

Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology (CBEN) and the International Council on 

Nanotechnology (ICON) have supported the continuing development of the GoodNanoGuide

(http://goodnanoguide.org), a wiki-based collection of good risk management practices intended to 

support the EHS practitioner. The guide is global in scope and uses contributions from recognized 

EHS experts.

NSF, EPA, USDA/NIFA, EC: These NNI agencies collaborate with each other as well as internationally 

(e.g., with the European Commission, EC) in funding and coordinating research related to Goal 4, by 

supporting workshops and joint research and education programs. EPA, NSF, and NIFA issued a joint 

solicitation in 2010 entitled “Increasing Scientific Data on the Fate, Transport, and Behavior of 

Engineered Nanomaterials in Selected Environmental and Biological Matrices” in conjunction with an EC 

program solicitation. This has resulted in co-funded projects that increased the research investment 

intensity in the EHS issues relevant to the environment, agricultural production and food applications. 

NSF and EPA co-fund two Centers for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology.

NSF, international research community: NSF has supported a project to embed humanists and social 

scientists in nanoscience and biotech laboratories around the world, providing a model for future 

integration of ethicists and social scientists into nanotechnology R&D laboratories. This work is facilitated 

by the NSF-sponsored ASU Nanotechnology in Society Center.

USDA/FS, industry, universities: The Forest Service is currently conducting nanotechnology research in 

areas of characterization, surface modification, and predictive modeling of renewable nanocrystalline 

cellulose in collaboration with private sector partners and Purdue University’s Birck Nanotechnology 
3. Progress Towards Achieving NNI Goals and Priorities

The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget 39

Center. In 2012 the Forest Service plans to initiate collaborative research with several other academic 

institutions and private sector partners.

External Reviews of the NNI

Public Law 108-153 calls for periodic external reviews of the NNI by the National Research Council 

(NRC) of the National Academies and by the National Nanotechnology Advisory Panel (NNAP).

In December 2008 the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies released a report 

commissioned by the NNI to review its Strategy for Nanotechnology-Related Environmental, Health, and

Safety Research.16 The NNI response to the NRC review is available at http://www.nano.gov.

17 NNCO 

plans to commission a new NRC evaluation of the NNI in 2011.

The most recent comprehensive external review of the NNI was released in March 2010 by the President’s 

Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) in its role as the National Nanotechnology 

Advisory Panel.18 Input from these NRC and NNAP reviews has been incorporated into the 2011 NNI 

Strategic Plan and is being incorporated into an updated NNI strategy for nanotechnology-related 

environmental, health, and safety research, due to be released in early calendar year 2011. More details of 

NNI activities that correspond to the recommendations of these reviews are included elsewhere in this 

report. 

Discussion of the recommendations from these studies and from other public and stakeholder input, and 

how the NNI is responding, is included in the 2011 updates to the NNI Strategic Plan and the NNI 

Strategy for Nanotechnology-Related EHS Research.

 16 Review of the Federal Strategy for Nanotechnology-Related Environmental, Health, and Safety Research: http://www.nap.edu

/catalog.php?record_id=12559. 17 http://www.nano.gov/NRC_Response_Letter_010509.pdf. 18 Report to the President and Congress on the Third Assessment of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (Executive Office of the 

President, Washington, DC, March, 2010; http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/pcast-nni-report.pdf).
40 The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget
The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget 41

APPENDIX A.GLOSSARY

Act Public Law 108-153, the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act

AF&PA American Forest and Paper Association

AFRI Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (USDA/NIFA)

Agencies Departments, agencies, and commissions within the Executive Branch of U.S. Federal 

Government

ARO Army Research Office (DOD)

ARPA-E Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy (DOE)

ARRA American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

BIS Bureau of Industry and Security (DOC)

CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (DHHS)

CEIN Centers for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology

CNST Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (DOC/NIST)

CNT Carbon nanotube

CNTC Cancer Nanotechnology Training Center (NCI)

CPSC Consumer Product Safety Commission

CSREES Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (USDA); replaced by the 

National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) in 2009

CoT Committee on Technology of the NSTC

CR Continuing resolution

DHS Department of Homeland Security

DHHS Department of Health and Human Services

DNI Director of National Intelligence

DOC Department of Commerce

DOD Department of Defense

DOE Department of Energy

DOEd Department of Education

DOJ Department of Justice

DOL Department of Labor

DOS Department of State

DOT Department of Transportation

DOTreas Department of the Treasury

DTRA Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DOD)

EC European Commission

EERE [Office of] Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (DOE)

EHS Environmental, health, and safety
Appendix A. Glossary 

42 The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget

ENMs engineered nanomaterials

EPA Environmental Protection Agency

FDA Food and Drug Administration (DHHS)

FHWA Federal Highway Administration (DOT)

FS Forest Service (USDA)

GIN Global Issues in Nanotechnology Working Group of the NSET Subcommittee

IC Intelligence Community

ICON International Council on Nanotechnology

ISO International Organization for Standardization

ITP Industrial Technologies Program (DOE/EERE)

MOA Memorandum of Agreement 

MOU Memorandum of Understanding

NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NCI National Cancer Institute (DHHS/NIH)

NCL Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory (DHHS/NIH/NCI)

NCLT Center for Learning and Teaching in Nanoscale Science and Engineering (NSF)

NCN Network for Computational Nanotechnology (NSF)

NEHI Nanotechnology Environmental and Health Implications Working Group of the NSET 

Subcommittee

NIBIB National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (DHHS/NIH)

NIEHS National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (DHHS/NIH)

NIFA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA, replacing CSREES Oct. 1, 2009)

NIH National Institutes of Health (DHHS)

NILI Nanotechnology Innovation and Liaison with Industry Working Group of the NSET 

Subcommittee

NIOSH National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (DHHS/CDC)

NISE Nanoscale Informal Science Education (NSF-supported network)

NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology (DOC)

NNAP National Nanotechnology Advisory Panel

NNCO National Nanotechnology Coordination Office

NNI National Nanotechnology Initiative

NNIN National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NSF program)

NPEC Nanotechnology Public Engagement and Communication Working Group of the NSET 

Subcommittee

NRC Nuclear Regulatory Commission (also National Research Council of the National 

Academies)

NRO National Reconnaissance Office (IC/DNI)

NSEC Nanoscale Science and Engineering Centers (NSF program)

NSET Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology Subcommittee of the NSTC
Appendix A. Glossary 

The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget 43

NSF National Science Foundation

NSRC Nanoscale Science Research Centers (DOE program)

NSTC National Science and Technology Council

OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

OISE Office of International Science and Engineering (NSF)

OMB Office of Management and Budget (Executive Office of the President)

OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration (DOL)

OSTP Office of Science and Technology Policy (Executive Office of the President) 

PCA Program Component Area

PCAST President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology

PV Photovoltaic(s)

QD Quantum dot

SBIR Small Business Innovation Research Program

SI International System of Units (Le Système International d'Unités)

SNL Sandia National Laboratories (DOE)

STAR Science to Achieve Results (EPA)

STTR Small Business Technology Transfer Research Program

TIP Technology Innovation Program (NIST)

USDA U.S. Department of Agriculture

USITC U.S. International Trade Commission

USGS U.S. Geological Survey (Department of the Interior)

USPTO U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (DOC)

WHO World Health Organization

WPMN Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials (under the Chemicals Committee of the 

OECD)

WPN Working Party on Nanotechnology (OECD)
44 The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget

APPENDIX B. CONTACT LIST

OSTP

Travis M. Earles

Assistant Director for Nanotechnology

Office of Science and Technology Policy

Executive Office of the President

New Executive Office Building

Washington, DC 20502

T: 202-456-6025

F: 202-456-6021

Travis_M._Earles@ostp.eop.gov

OMB

Irene Kariampuzha

Office of Management and Budget

Executive Office of the President

725 17th St., N.W.

Washington, DC 20503

T: 202-395-3535

F: 202-395-4652

Irene_Kariampuzha@omb.eop.gov

NNCO

Dr. E. Clayton Teague

Director and Coordinator for Standards

National Nanotechnology 

Coordination Office 

4201 Wilson Blvd.

Stafford II, Suite 405

Arlington, VA 22230

T: 703-292-4319

F: 703-292-9312

cteague@nnco.nano.gov

Dr. Sally Tinkle

Assistant Director and Coordinator for 

Environment, Health, and Safety 

Research

National Nanotechnology 

Coordination Office 

4201 Wilson Blvd.

Stafford II, Suite 405

Arlington, VA 22230

T: 703-292-4503

F: 703-292-9312

stinkle@nnco.nano.gov

CPSC

Dr. Mary Ann Danello

Associate Executive Director

Directorate for Health Sciences

Consumer Product Safety Commission

4330 East-West Highway, Suite 600

Bethesda, MD 20814

T: 301-504-7237

F: 301-504-0079

mdanello@cpsc.gov

Dr. Treye Thomas

Toxicologist

Office of Hazard Identification and 

Reduction

Consumer Product Safety Commission

4330 East-West Highway, Suite 600

Bethesda, MD 20814

T: 301-504-7738

F: 301-504-0079

tthomas@cpsc.gov

DHS

Dr. Richard T. Lareau

Science and Technology Directorate

Department of Homeland Security

William J. Hughes Technical Center, 

Bldg. 315

Atlantic City International Airport, NJ 

08405

T: 609-813-2760

F: 609-383-1973

Richard.Lareau@dhs.gov

Dr. Eric J. Houser

Department of Homeland Security

Office of Research and Development

Science and Technology Directorate

1120 Vermont Ave., N.W.

Washington, DC 20005

T: 202-254-5366

eric.houser@dhs.gov

DNI

Richard D. Ridgley

Chief Scientist

Advanced Systems and Technology 

Directorate

National Reconnaissance Office

14675 Lee Road

Chantilly, VA 20151

T: 703 808-3115

F: 703 808-2646

ridgleyr@nro.mil

DOC/BIS

Matt Borman

mborman@bis.doc.gov

DOD 

Dr. Lewis Sloter

Associate Director, Materials & 

Structures

Office of the Director, Defense Research 

and Engineering

1777 N. Kent St Ste 9030

Arlington, VA 22209-2110

T: 703-588-7418

F: 703-696-2230

Lewis.Sloter@osd.mil

Dr. Akbar S. Khan

Senior Microbiologist & S&T Manager

Basic & Supporting Research Division

Defense Threat Reduction Agency

Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-6201

T: 703-767-3391

F: 703-767-1893

Akbar.Khan@dtra.mil

Dr. Gernot S. Pomrenke

Program Manager - Optoelectronics, 

THz and Nanotechnology

AFOSR/NE

Directorate of Physics and Electronics

Air Force Office of Scientific Research

875 North Randolph Street

Suite 325, Rm. 3112

Arlington, VA 22203-1768

T: 703-696-8426

F: 703-696-8481

gernot.pomrenke@afosr.af.mil
Appendix B. Contact List 

The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget 45

Dr. Eric Snow

Director, Institute for Nanoscience

Code 1100

Naval Research Laboratory

Washington DC 20375

T: 202-767-3261

F: 202-767-1821

snow@bloch.nrl.navy.mil

Dr. David M. Stepp

Chief, Materials Science Division

Army Research Office

AMSRL-RO-PM (Materials Science 

Division)

P.O. Box 12211

Research Triangle Park, NC 27709

T: 919-549-4329

F: 919-549-4399

david.m.stepp@us.army.mil

DOE

Dr. Harriet Kung

Director, Office of Basic Energy 

Sciences

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

SC-22/GTN

1000 Independence Ave., S.W.

Washington, DC 20585

T: 301-903-3081

F: 301-903-6594

Harriet.Kung@science.doe.gov

Dr. Mihal E. Gross

Division of Scientific User Facilities

Office of Basic Energy Sciences

U.S. Department of Energy

SC-22.3/GTN

1000 Independence Avenue, S.W.

Washington, DC 20585-1290

T: 301-903-6827

F: 301-903-1690

Mihal.Gross@science.doe.gov

Dr. John C. Miller

Division of Chemical Sciences, 

Geosciences, and Biosciences

Office of Basic Energy Sciences

U.S. Department of Energy

SC-22.1/GTN

1000 Independence Ave., S.W.

Washington, DC 20585

T: 301-903-5806

F: 301-903-4110

John.Miller@science.doe.gov

Dr. Ravi Prasher

Program Director

ARPA-E

U.S. Department of Energy

1000 Independence Ave. SW

Washington DC 20585

T: 202-287-6212

Ravi.Prasher@hq.doe.gov

Dr. Andrew R. Schwartz

Division of Materials Sciences and 

Engineering

Office of Basic Energy Sciences

U.S. Department of Energy

SC-22.2/GTN

1000 Independence Avenue SW

Washington, DC 20585-1290

T: (301) 903-3535

F: (301) 903-9513

andrew.schwartz@science.doe.gov

Dr. Brian Valentine

Office of Industrial Technologies

U.S. Department of Energy

Headquarters Bldg., EE-2F

1000 Independence Avenue, S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20585-0121

T: 202-586-9741

F: 202-586-9234

Brian.Valentine@ee.doe.gov

Dr. Gideon Varga

U.S. Department of Energy

Industrial Technologies Program

EE-2F

1000 Independence Ave, SW

Washington, DC 20585

T: 202-586-0082

F: 202-586-9234

gideon.varga@ee.doe.gov

DOEd

Dr. Krishan Mathur

U.S. Department of Education

Office of Postsecondary Education

1990 K Street, N.W., #6144

Washington, DC 20006-8544

T: 202-502-7512

F: 202-502-7877

krish.mathur@ed.gov

DOJ

Joseph Heaps

Deputy Director, In-situ Thermal 

Desorption Technology

Department of Justice 

National Institute of Justice

Office of Science and Technology

810 7th Street, Rm. 7206

Washington, DC 20531

T: 202-305-1554

F: 202-305-9091

Joseph.Heaps@usdoj.gov

DOL/OSHA

Dr. Janet Carter

Senior Health Scientist

Department of Labor

Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration

Room N3718

200 Constitution Ave., NW

Washington, DC 20210

T: 513-684-6030

F: 513-684-2630

Carter.Janet@dol.gov

DOS

Kenneth Hodgkins

Director

Office of Space & Advanced 

Technology

U.S. Department of State

OES/SAT, SA-23

1990 K Street NW, Suite 410

Washington, DC 20006

T: 202-663-2398

F: 202-663-2402

HodgkinsKD@state.gov

Dr. Chris Cannizzaro

Physical Science Officer

Office of Space & Advanced 

Technology

U.S. Department of State

OES/SAT, SA-23

1990 K Street NW, Suite 410

Washington, DC 20006

T: 202-663-2390

F: 202-663-2402

CannizzaroCM@state.gov 
Appendix B. Contact List 

46 The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget

DOT

Alasdair Cain

Research and Innovative Technology 

Administration

Department of Transportation

1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E.

Washington, DC 20590

T: 202-366-0934

Alasdair.Cain@dot.gov

Dr. Jonathan Porter

Chief Scientist

Office of Research, Development, and 

Technology

Federal Highway Administration

U.S. Department of Transportation

Turner-Fairbank Highway Research 

Center

6300 Georgetown Pike

McLean VA 22101-2200

T: 202-493-3038

F: 202-493-3417

jonathan.porter@fhwa.dot.gov

DOTreas

Dr. John F. Bobalek

Program Manager

Office of Research and Technical 

Support

Bureau of Engraving and Printing

Rm. 201-29A

14th and C Streets, S.W.

Washington, DC 20228-0001

T: 202-874-2109

F: 202-927-7415

John.Bobalek@bep.treas.gov

EPA

Jeff Morris

Acting National Program Director for 

Nanotechnology

Office of Research and Development

Environmental Protection Agency

1200 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20460

T. 202-564-6756

F. 202-565-2494

Morris.Jeff@epa.gov

Dr. Nora F. Savage

National Center for Environmental 

Research

Office of Research and Development

Mail Code 8722F

Environmental Protection Agency

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Washington, DC 20460

T: 202-347-8104

F: 202-347-8142

Savage.Nora@epamail.epa.gov

Dr. Philip Sayre

Associate Director

Risk Assessment Division

Office of Pollution Prevention and 

Toxics

Environmental Protection Agency

1200 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.

Mail Code 7403M

Washington, DC 20460

T: 202-564-7673

F: 202-564-7450

sayre.phil@epa.gov

FDA

Carlos Peña, PhD, MS

Senior Science Policy Advisor

Office of the Commissioner

FDA

5600 Fishers Lane

HF-33, Room 14B08

Rockville, MD 20857

T: 301-796-8521

F: 301-827-3042

carlos.pena@fda.hhs.gov

NASA 

Dr. Michael A. Meador

Chief, Polymers Branch 

Structures and Materials Division 

NASA Glenn Research Center

21000 Brookpark Road

Cleveland, OH 44135

T: 216-433-9518

F: 216-977-7132

Michael.A.Meador@nasa.gov

Dr. Minoo N. Dastoor

Chief Technologist, Innovative 

Partnership Program Office

National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration

NASA Headquarters, Rm. 6F80

Washington DC 20546-0001

T: 202-358-4518

F: 202-358-3878

mdastoor@mail.hq.nasa.gov

Dr. Meyya Meyyappan

National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration

Ames Research Center

MS 229-3 

Moffett Field, CA 94035

T: 650-604-2616

F: 650-604-5244

m.meyyappan@nasa.gov

NIH

Dr. Piotr Grodzinski

Program Director, Nanotechnology in 

Cancer

Office of Technology and Industrial 

Relations

Office of the Director

National Cancer Institute

National Institutes of Health

31 Center Drive, 10A52

Bethesda, MD 20892

T: 301-496-1550

F: 301-496-7807

grodzinp@mail.nih.gov

Dr. Lori Henderson

Program Director

National Institute of Biomedical 

Imaging and Bioengineering

National Institutes of Health

Democracy Two, Suite 200, MSC 5469

6707 Democracy Blvd.

Bethesda, MD 20892-5469

T: 301-451-4778

F: 301-480-0679

hendersonlori@mail.nih.gov
Appendix B. Contact List 

The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget 47

Dr. Jeffery A. Schloss

Program Director 

Technology Development Coordination 

National Human Genome Research 

Institute 

National Institutes of Health 

Suite 4076, MSC 9305 

5635 Fishers Lane 

Bethesda, MD 20892-9305 

T: 301-496-7531

F: 301-480-2770

jeff_schloss@nih.gov

NIH/OD

Dr. Lynn Hudson

Deputy Director

Office of Science Policy & Planning

National Institutes of Health

Office of the Director

Building 1 - Shannon Bldg, Rm. 218

1 Center Drive

Bethesda, MD 20892

T: 301-496-0786

F: 301-402-0280

HudsonL1@od.nih.gov 

Dr. Nancy E. Miller

Senior Science Policy Analyst

Office of Science Policy and Planning

Office of the Director

National Institutes of Health

1 Center Drive

Bldg 1, Rm. 218

Bethesda, MD 20892

T: 301-594-7742

F: 301-402-0280

MILLERN@od1tm1.od.nih.gov

NIH/FIC

George Herrfurth

Multilateral Affairs Coordinator

Division of International Relations

Fogarty International Center

National Institutes of Health

Building 31, Rm. B2C11

Bethesda, MD 20892-2220

T: 301-402-1615

F: 301-480-3414

herrfurg@mail.nih.gov

NIH/NCI

Dr. Piotr Grodzinski

Program Director, Nanotechnology in 

Cancer

Office of Technology and Industrial 

Relations

Office of the Director

National Cancer Institute

National Institutes of Health

31 Center Drive, 10A52

Bethesda, MD. 20892

T: 301-496-1550

F: 301-496-7807

grodzinp@mail.nih.gov

Dr. Scott McNeil

Director, Nanotechnology 

Characterization Laboratory

National Cancer Institute at Frederick

National Institutes of Health

P.O. Box B, Building 469

1050 Boyles Street

Frederick, MD 21702-1201

T: 301-846-6939

F: 301-846-6399

mcneils@ncifcrf.gov 

NIH/NHLBI

Dr. Denis Buxton

Basic and Early Translational Research 

Program, DCVS

National Heart, Lung, and Blood 

Institute

National Institutes of Health

6701 Rockledge Drive, Rm. 8216

Bethesda, MD 20817 

T: 301-435-0513

F: 301-480-1454

BuxtonD@nhlbi.nih.gov

NIH/NIEHS

Dr. John R. Bucher

Associate Director

National Toxicology Program

National Institute of Environmental 

Health Sciences

National Institutes of Health

P.O. Box 12233

Research Triangle Park, NC 27709

T: 919-541-4532

F: 919-541-4225

bucher@niehs.nih.gov

NIH/NIGMS

Dr. Catherine Lewis

Director, Division of Cell Biology and 

Biophysics

National Institute of General Medical 

Sciences

National Institutes of Health

45 Center Drive, Rm. MSC 6200

Bethesda, MD 20892-6200

T: 301-594-0828

F: 301-480-2004

catherine.lewis@nih.hhs.gov

NIOSH

Dr. Charles L. Geraci, Jr.

Coordinator, Nanotechnology Research 

Center

National Institute for Occupational 

Safety and Health

4676 Columbia Parkway

Cincinnati, OH 45226

T: 513-533-8339

CGeraci@cdc.gov

Dr. Vladimir V. Murashov

Special Assistant to the Director

National Institute for Occupational 

Safety and Health

OD/NIOSH M/S-P12

395 E Street, S.W.

Suite 9200

Washington, DC 20201

T: 202-245-0668

F: 202-245-0628

vladimir.murashov@cdc.hhs.gov

NIST

Mark Bello

Public and Business Affairs Office

National Institute of Standards and 

Technology

100 Bureau Drive, Stop 1070

Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1070

T: 301-975-3776

F: 301-926-1630

mark.bello@nist.gov

Dr. Jason Boehm

Director, Program Office

National Institute of Standards and 

Technology

100 Bureau Drive, Stop 1060

Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1060

T: 301-975-8678

F: 301-216-0529

jason.boehm@nist.gov
Appendix B. Contact List 

48 The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget

Dr. Ajit Jillavenkatesa

Program Office

National Institute of Standards and 

Technology

100 Bureau Drive, Stop 1060

Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1060

T: 301-975-8519

F: 301-216-0529

ajit.jilla@nist.gov

Dr. Debra L. Kaiser

Chief, Ceramics Division

National Institute of Standards and 

Technology

100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8520

Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8520

T: 301-975-6119

F: 301-975-5334

dkaiser@nist.gov

Dr. Robert Rudnitsky

National Institute of Standards and 

Technology

100 Bureau Drive, Stop 6200

Gaithersburg, MD 20899-6200

T: 301-975-4699

T: 301-975-8026

robert.rudnitsky@nist.gov 

Dr. Lloyd J. Whitman

Deputy Director, Center for Nanoscale 

Science and Technology

National Institute of Standards and 

Technology

100 Bureau Drive, Stop 6200

Gaithersburg, MD 20899-6200

T: 301-975-8002

F: 301-975-8026

whitman@nist.gov

NRC

Stuart Richards, Deputy Director

Division of Engineering

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Washington, DC 20555-0001

T: 301-251-7616

Stuart.Richards@nrc.gov

NSF

Dr. Mihail C. Roco 

Senior Advisor for Nanotechnology

National Science Foundation

Directorate for Engineering

4201 Wilson Blvd., Suite 505

Arlington, VA 22230

T: 703-292-8301

F: 703-292-9013

mroco@nsf.gov 

Dr. Parag R Chitnis

Deputy Division Director

National Science Foundation

Directorate for Biological Sciences

4201 Wilson Blvd., Suite 605N

Arlington, VA 22230

T: 703-292-8440

F: 703-292-9061

pchitnis@nsf.gov

Dr. Ian Robertson

Director, Division of Materials Research

National Science Foundation

Directorate for Mathematical and 

Physical Sciences

4201 Wilson Blvd., Suite 1065

Arlington, VA 22230

T: 703-292-4937

F: 703-292-9035

iroberts@nsf.gov

Dr. T. James Rudd

Program Manager, SBIR/STTR

Office of Industrial Innovation

National Science Foundation

4201 Wilson Blvd., Rm. 550

Arlington, VA 22230

T: 703-292-4759

F: 703-292-9057

tjrudd@nsf.gov

USDA/NIFA 

Dr. Hongda Chen

National Program Leader, Bioprocess 

Engineering/Nanotechnology 

The National Institute of Food and 

Agriculture 

U.S. Department of Agriculture

1400 Independence Ave., S.W. 

Mail Stop 2220 

Washington, DC 20250-2220 

T: 202-401-6497 

F: 202-401-4888

HCHEN@nifa.usda.gov

USDA/FS 

Dr. Christopher D. Risbrudt

Director

Forest Products Laboratory

USDA Forest Service

One Gifford Pinchot Drive

Madison, WI 53726-2398

T: 608-231-9318

F: 608-231-9567

crisbrudt@fs.fed.us

Dr. Theodore H. Wegner

Assistant Director

Forest Products Laboratory

USDA Forest Service

One Gifford Pinchot Drive

Madison, WI 53726-2398

T: 608-231-9434

F: 608-231-9567

twegner@fs.fed.us

Dr. Robert Doudrick

Staff Director, Resource Use Science

USDA Forest Service

1400 Independence Ave., S.W. 

Mailstop Code: 1114

Washington, DC 20250-1114

T: 703-605-4195

F: 703-605-5137

rdoudrick@fs.fed.us

Dr. World Nieh

National Program Leader, Forest 

Products and Utilization

USDA Forest Service 

1400 Independence Ave., S.W. 

Mailstop Code: 1114 

Washington, DC 20250-1114

T: 703-605-4197 

F: 703-605-5137

wnieh@fs.fed.us

Dr. Howard Rosen

Resource Use Science

USDA Forest Service

1400 Independence Ave., S.W.

Mailstop Code: 1114

Washington, DC 20250-1114

T: 703-605-4196

F: 703-605-5137

hrosen@fs.fed.us
Appendix B. Contact List 

The National Nanotechnology Initiative—Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget 49

USGS

Dr. Sarah Gerould

Bureau Program Coordinator, 

Contaminant Biology Program

U.S. Geological Survey 

Mail Stop 301 National Center

12201 Sunrise Valley Drive

Reston, VA 20192

T: 703-648-6895

F: 703-648-4238

sgerould@usgs.gov

USITC

Elizabeth R. Nesbitt

International Trade Analyst for 

Biotechnology and Nanotechnology 

Chemicals and Textiles Division

Office of Industries

U.S. International Trade Commission

500 E Street, S.W.

Washington, DC 20436

T: 202-205-3355

F: 202-205-3161

elizabeth.nesbitt@usitc.gov

USPTO 

Charles Eloshway

Patent Attorney

Office of International Relations

Patent and Trademark Office

P.O. Box 1450

Alexandria, VA 22313

T: 571-272-9300

F: 571-273-0123

Charles.Eloshway@uspto.gov

Bruce Kisliuk

Assistant Deputy Commissioner for 

Patent Operations

Mechanical Disciplines, TCs 3600 and 

3700

Patent and Trademark Office

P.O. Box 1450

Alexandria, VA 22313

T: 571-272-5050

Bruce.Kisliuk@uspto.gov

Additional NNCO Staff Contacts 

Marlowe Epstein

Acting Communications Director and 

NILI Executive Secretary

National Nanotechnology 

Coordination Office 

4201 Wilson Blvd.

Stafford II, Suite 405

Arlington, VA 22230

T: 703-292-7128

F: 703-292-9312

mepstein@nnco.nano.gov

Liesl Heeter

IT Director and NEHI Executive 

Secretary

National Nanotechnology 

Coordination Office 

4201 Wilson Blvd.

Stafford II, Suite 405

Arlington, VA 22230

T: 703-292-4533

F: 703-292-9312

lheeter@nnco.nano.gov

Geoffrey M. Holdridge

Policy Analyst and NSET Executive 

Secretary

National Nanotechnology 

Coordination Office 

4201 Wilson Blvd.

Stafford II, Suite 405

Arlington, VA 22230

T: 703-292-4532

F: 703-292-9312

gholdrid@nnco.nano.gov

Jim Kadtke

Policy Analyst and GIN Executive 

Secretary

National Nanotechnology 

Coordination Office 

4201 Wilson Blvd.

Stafford II, Suite 405

Arlington, VA 22230

T: 703-292-4399

F: 703-292-9312

jkadtke@nnco.nano.gov

Halyna Paikoush

Event Coordinator

National Nanotechnology 

Coordination Office 

4201 Wilson Blvd.

Stafford II, Suite 405

Arlington, VA 22230

T: 703- 247-2176

F: 703-292-9312

hpaikoush@nnco.nano.gov

Diana Petreski

Office Manager

National Nanotechnology 

Coordination Office 

4201 Wilson Blvd.

Stafford II, Suite 405

Arlington, VA 22230

T: 703-292-8626

F: 703-292-9312

dpetreski@nnco.nano.gov

Kristin Roy

Webmaster and NPEC Executive 

Secretary

National Nanotechnology 

Coordination Office 

4201 Wilson Blvd.

Stafford II, Suite 405

Arlington, VA 22230

T: 703-292-8906

F: 703-292-9312

kroy@nnco.nano.gov
National Science and Technology Council

Committee on Technology 

Subcommittee on Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology 

National Nanotechnology Coordination Office

4201 Wilson Blvd.

Stafford II, Rm. 405

Arlington, VA 22230

703-292-8626 phone

703-292-9312 fax

www.nano.gov