Chapter 6. The Role of the U.S. Government in Nanoscale Science and Technology


Geoffrey M. Holdridge

One of the cornerstone principles of the United States, and of the free market system that has helped to make the United States one of the world's richest countries, is that the central government should play only those roles that are both critical to the nation's welfare and that private citizens, private industry, or state and local governments are either unable or unwilling to undertake. One role for the federal government that was envisioned from the start of the Republic by the framers of the U.S. Constitution was to "promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts."[1] This role was originally intended only for the protection of intellectual property and was the basis for the establishment of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

However, as science and technology have become ever more critical to the fate of nations and the well-being of their citizens, the U.S. government has taken on additional corollaries to this role outlined in the Constitution, including funding research and development, education, and critical research infrastructure, as well as measures to more effectively promote the transfer of "Science" into "useful Arts" for exploitation by private industry. This chapter outlines and explains the sometimes unique roles that the U.S. federal government plays in the development of nanoscale science and technology. These roles can be expected to be similar in other countries as well.

The most fundamental government role in nanoscale science and technology, or nanotechnology, is to support research and developmentlong-term basic research as well as development of applications relevant to specific national priorities (such as defense). Another key government role is developing educational resources, a skilled workforce, and the supporting infrastructure and tools (for example, laboratory facilities and instrumentation) needed to advance nanotechnology. The government has an important role to play in facilitating transfer of new technologies developed in university and government laboratories to the private sector, where the real benefits of nanotechnology (such as new and improved products, jobs, and sustainable economic growth) can be pursued.

Finally, the government has a responsibility for encouraging the responsible development of nanotechnology, by supporting research on the potential impacts (both positive and negative) of nanotechnologies and by creating a regulatory environment that protects public health and safety while providing a clear path in which industry can pursue development of novel products and services based on nanotechnology.

These roles are not unique to nanotechnology but rather reflect the roles that the U.S. government and many other governments around the world have played in the development and exploitation of science and technology at least since World War II. What is perhaps unique about the case of nanoscale science and technology is its accelerated pace of development, the broad spectrum of its potential benefits, and hence its potential to have a rapid and revolutionary impact on industry and society.

Another unique aspect is the extent to which progress in nanotechnology stems from a confluence of developments in different fields of science and technology (for example, biology and physics), presenting new challenges and opportunities for researchers and educators working across traditional disciplinary boundaries. Government plays an important role in helping to foster interdisciplinary research and education in three ways: (1) by supporting the development of and making available facilities and research instruments that allow researchers from all disciplines to visualize and manipulate matter at the nanometer scale, (2) by establishing research centers and groups with the explicit goal of bringing together researchers from previously divergent fields, and (3) by promulgating policies to encourage the education of a new generation of multidisciplinary researchers.




Nanotechnology. Science, Innovation, and Opportunity
Nanotechnology: Science, Innovation, and Opportunity
ISBN: 0131927566
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 204

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