I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 283

To establish the Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Advisory Board. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 8, 2003

Mr. HONDA (for himself, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mrs. TAUSCHER, Mr. 

HOLT, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. HOEFFEL, Ms. 

NORTON, Ms. LOFGREN, and Mr. ETHERIDGE) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science 

A BILL

To establish the Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Advisory 

Board.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Nanoscience and 

5 Nanotechnology Advisory Board Act of 2003’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 

8 (1) The emerging fields of nanoscience and 

9 nanoengineering (collectively, ‘‘nanotechnology’’), in 

10 which matter is manipulated at the atomic level in 
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1 order to build materials, machines, and devices with 

2 novel properties or functions, are leading to unprece3 dented scientific and technological opportunities that 

4 will benefit society by changing the way many things 

5 are designed and made. 

6 (2) Long-term nanoscale research and develop7 ment leading to potential breakthroughs in areas 

8 such as materials and manufacturing, electronics, 

9 medicine and health care, environment, energy, 

10 chemicals, biotechnology, agriculture, information 

11 technology, and national security could be as signifi12 cant for the 21st century as the combined influences 

13 of microelectronics, biotechnology, and information 

14 technology were for the 20th century. 

15 (3) Long-term, high-risk research is necessary 

16 to create breakthroughs in technology. 

17 (4) Such research requires government funding 

18 since the benefits are too distant or uncertain for in19 dustry alone to support, and the Federal government 

20 can play an important role in the development of 

21 nanotechnology, as it will take many years of sus22 tained investment for this field to achieve maturity. 

23 (5) Advancements in nanotechnology stemming 

24 from Federal investments in fundamental research 

25 and subsequent private sector development likely will 
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1 create technologies that support the work and im2 prove the efficiency of the Federal government, and 

3 contribute significantly to the efforts of the govern4 ment’s mission agencies. 

5 (6) According to various estimates, including 

6 those of the National Science Foundation, the mar7 ket for nanotechnology products and services in the 

8 United States alone could reach over $1 trillion later 

9 this century. 

10 (7) Mastering nanotechnology will require a 

11 unique skill set for scientists and engineers that 

12 combine chemistry, physics, materials science, and 

13 information science. 

14 (8) Funding in these critical areas has been flat 

15 for many years and as a result fewer young people 

16 are electing to go into these areas in graduate 

17 schools throughout the Nation, a trend which will 

18 have to reverse if we hope to develop the next gen19 eration of skilled workers with multidisciplinary per20 spectives necessary for the development of 

21 nanotechnology. 

22 (9) Research on nanotechnology creates unprec23 edented capabilities to alter ourselves and our envi24 ronment and will give rise to a host of novel social, 

25 ethical, philosophical, and legal issues, and address-
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1 ing these issues will require wide reflection and guid2 ance that is responsive to the realities of the science, 

3 as well as additional research to predict, understand, 

4 and alleviate anticipated problems. 

5 (10) Achieving and maintaining international 

6 leadership in nanotechnology is an important na7 tional security issue for the Nation, and in addition 

8 to the plethora of devices that can be developed for 

9 use by the Defense Department, there are many 

10 other ways in which nanotechnology has national se11 curity implications. 

12 (11) The Executive Branch has previously es13 tablished a National Nanotechnology Initiative 

14 (NNI) to coordinate Federal nanotechnology re15 search and development programs and this initiative 

16 has contributed significantly to the development of 

17 nanotechnology. 

18 (12) Authorizing legislation can serve to estab19 lish new technology goals and research directions, 

20 improve agency coordination and oversight mecha21 nisms, help ensure optimal returns on investments, 

22 and simplify reporting, budgeting, and planning 

23 processes for the Executive Branch and Congress. 
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1 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT. 

2 There is established the Nanoscience and 

3 Nanotechnology Advisory Board (in this Act referred to 

4 as the ‘‘Advisory Board’’). The Advisory Board shall oper5 ate in coordination with the White House Office of Science 

6 and Technology Policy, and shall provide advice to the 

7 President and the National Science and Technology Coun8 cil on research investment policy, strategy, program goals, 

9 and management processes relating to nanoscience and 

10 nanotechnology. 

11 SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP. 

12 (a) IN GENERAL.—The President, in consultation 

13 with the Director of the White House Office of Science 

14 and Technology Policy, shall establish procedures for the 

15 selection if individuals not employed by the Federal gov16 ernment who are qualified in the science of 

17 nanotechnology and other appropriate fields and shall, 

18 pursuant to such procedures, appoint up to 20 individuals 

19 to serve on the Advisory Board. 

20 (b) MEMBERSHIP QUALIFICATIONS.—Members of the 

21 Advisory Board shall be appointed from among leaders 

22 from industry and academia having scientific, technical, 

23 social science, or research management credentials. Mem24 bers shall hold a reasonable cross-section of views and ex25 pertise regarding societal, ethical, educational, legal, and 

26 workforce issues related to nanotechnology. In selecting 
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1 individuals to serve on the Advisory Board the President 

2 shall give due consideration to the recommendations of 

3 Congress, industry leaders, the scientific community (in4 cluding the National Academy of Sciences), academia, the 

5 defense community, the education community, State and 

6 local governments, and other appropriate organizations. 

7 (c) CHAIRPERSON.—The President shall designate a 

8 Chairperson who shall serve for a term of 3 years. 

9 (d) TERMS.—Each member of the Advisory Board 

10 shall be appointed for a term of 1 to 3 years, as deter11 mined by the President upon appointment, and may be 

12 reappointed when their terms expire. 

13 (e) VACANCIES.— A vacancy on the Advisory Board 

14 shall be filled in the same manner in which the original 

15 appointment was made. 

16 (f) COMPENSATION.—Members shall serve without 

17 pay but shall receive travel expenses, including per diem 

18 in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with applicable provi19 sions under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United 

20 States Code. 

21 (g) MEETINGS.—The Advisory Board shall meet not 

22 less than 2 times per year, at the call of the Chairperson 

23 in consultation with the National Nanotechnology Coordi24 nation Office established under section 5 of this Act. 
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1 SEC. 5. NATIONAL NANOTECHNOLOGY COORDINATION OF2 FICE. 

3 (a) STAFF TO ASSIST ADVISORY BOARD.—The Presi4 dent shall establish a National Nanotechnology Coordina5 tion Office to provide necessary technical and administra6 tive support to the Advisory Board and to coordinate Fed7 eral nanotechnology activities between Federal agencies, 

8 private sector industry, and academia. 

9 (b) APPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN CIVIL SERVICE

10 LAWS.—The staff of the National Nanotechnology Coordi11 nation Office established under subsection (a) shall be ap12 pointed subject to the provisions of title 5, United States 

13 Code, governing appointments in the competitive service, 

14 and shall be paid in accordance with the provisions of 

15 chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of that title 

16 relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates. 

17 SEC. 6. DUTIES. 

18 The Advisory Board shall—

19 (1) advise the President and the National 

20 Science and Technology Council, and inform the 

21 Congress, on matters relating to the National 

22 Nanotechnology Program, including—

23 (A) the articulation of short-term (1 to 5 

24 years), medium-range (6 to 10 years), and long25 range (beyond 10 years) goals and objectives 

26 within the program; 
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1 (B) the need for emphasis on the long2 range goals that move results out of the labora3 tory and into the service of society; 

4 (C) the capabilities and research needs of 

5 the nanotechnology program; 

6 (D) methods or approaches for achieving 

7 major program objectives; 

8 (E) establishing and measuring perform9 ance goals using appropriate metrics; 

10 (F) approaches to increase multi-agency 

11 investments in research at the intersection be12 tween nanoscale technology and biology; 

13 (G) creation of programs for the invention 

14 and development of new instruments for 

15 nanoscience and the establishment of centers of 

16 excellence where these instruments can be used 

17 by a number of scientists, faculty, and students; 

18 (H) approaches to stimulate and nurture 

19 industrial partnerships, both domestically and 

20 internationally, to help accelerate the commer21 cialization of nanotechnology developments; 

22 (I) approaches to addressing workforce 

23 issues through training grants, internships, fel24 lowships, professional development, and retrain25 ing; and 
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1 (J) the need to coordinate the nanoscale 

2 research and development activities and strate3 gies of the civilian Federal agencies and the De4 partment of Defense to maintain a balanced, in5 tegrated, and fully-coordinated Federal 

6 nanotechnology research effort; 

7 (2) consult with academic industrial entities, 

8 State and local governments and agencies, and other 

9 appropriate entities conducting research on and 

10 using nanotechnology; and 

11 (3) ensure that the Federal nanotechnology pro12 gram considers fully the societal implications of 

13 nanoscale science and technology. 

14 SEC. 7. REPORTS. 

15 The Advisory Board shall transmit an annual report 

16 to the President, the heads of each agency involved in the 

17 nanotechnology program, the Committee on Science of the 

18 House of Representatives, and the Committee on Com19 merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate. The an20 nual report shall include—

21 (1) a review of the program’s technical success 

22 in achieving the stated goals and grand challenges 

23 according to the metrics established by the program 

24 and Advisory Panel; 
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1 (2) a review of the program’s management and 

2 coordination among civilian Federal agencies; be3 tween these agencies and the Department of De4 fense; and between state, local, international, and 

5 private sector efforts in nanotechnology research and 

6 development; as well as how this coordination sup7 ports the goals and the mission needs of the entities 

8 involved; 

9 (3) a review of the funding levels by each agen10 cy for the program’s activities and their ability to 

11 achieve the program’s stated goals and grand chal12 lenges; 

13 (4) a review of the balance in the program’s 

14 portfolio and components across agencies and dis15 ciplines; 

16 (5) an assessment of the degree of participation 

17 in the program by minority serving institutions and 

18 institutions located in States participating in Na19 tional Science Foundation’s Experimental Program 

20 to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR); 

21 (6) a review of policy issues resulting from ad22 vancements in nanotechnology and its effects on the 

23 scientific enterprise, commerce, workforce, competi24 tiveness, national security, medicine, and govern25 ment operations; 
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1 (7) recommendations for new program goals 

2 and grand challenges; 

3 (8) recommendations for new research areas, 

4 partnerships, coordination and management mecha5 nisms, or programs to be established to achieve the 

6 program’s stated goals and grand challenges; 

7 (9) recommendations for new investments by 

8 each participating agency in each program funding 

9 area for the 5–year period following the delivery of 

10 the report; 

11 (10) reviews and recommendations regarding 

12 other issues deemed pertinent or specified by the 

13 panel; and 

14 (11) a technology transition study which in15 cludes an evaluation of the Federal nanotechnology 

16 research and development program’s success in 

17 transitioning its research, technologies, and concepts 

18 into commercial and military products, including—

19 (A) examples of successful transition of re20 search, technologies, and concepts from the 

21 Federal nanotechnology research and develop22 ment program into commercial and military 

23 products; 

24 (B) best practices of universities, govern25 ment, and industry in promoting efficient and 
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1 rapid technology transition in the 

2 nanotechnology sector; 

3 (C) barriers to efficient technology transi4 tion in the nanotechnology sector, including, but 

5 not limited to, standards, pace of technological 

6 change, qualification and testing of research 

7 products, intellectual property issues, and Fed8 eral funding; and 

9 (D) recommendations for government 

10 sponsored activities to promote rapid technology 

11 transition in the nanotechnology sector. 

12 SEC. 9. TERMINATION. 

13 Section 14(a)(2)(B) of the Federal Advisory Com14 mittee Act (5 U.S.C. App.; relating to the termination of 

15 advisory committees) shall not apply to this Act. 

16 SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

17 There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 

18 as may be necessary to carry out this Act.

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