Analysts and pundits are looking over the big increase in nanotech-related R&D funding requested by the Bush Administration on 4 February 2002.
- Coverage of the budget announcement can also be found on the Small Times website ("Bush calls for 17 percent increase in spending for nanotech programs", by D. Brown, 5 February 2002).
- An article from United Press International ("Nanotech initiative's focus: Measurement", by S. Burnell, 10 February 2002) provides some additional commentary, and includes a short interview with Mihail "Mike" Roco, a senior advisor on nanotechnology at the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), which receives almost one-third of total federal nanotech funding. NSF will support a diversity of programs in different areas, Roco said: "This reflects, in a way, that nanoscale science and engineering will affect society at large. It's basically a foundation on which industry eventually will change its business; it's a way in which maybe we'll change our understanding of the world, even of life." Roco also said a long-term goal is the development of a nanotechnology workforce: "In the long term, NSF will try to address the educational aspects that are critical for this whole enterprise. In 2003, we'll train and educate about 5,000 students and faculty; this is probably a small number if you consider the rate of increase of nanoscale science and engineering. In 10 or 15 years, we'll need in the range of 800,000 nanotechnology workers, so the NSF will focus on preparing this workforce of the future."
- An extensive article by Doug Brown on the Small Times website ("Bush proposes deep cuts to program that funds high-risk nanotechnology", 11 February 2002) points that not all aspects of the Bush budget proposal are positive. According to the article, the Bush administration is seeking cut funding for the Advanced Technology Program (ATP) at the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) in the Department of Commerce from about $185 million to $107.9 million , a reduction of over 42%. The ATP has spent about $128 million on nanotechnology in recent years, and companies involved with the ATP projects have met the federal dollars with $121 million of their own money.
- For a general overview of the areas where the U.S. federal R&D budget is being increased and decreased, see the Preliminary Analysis of R&D in the FY 2003 Budget from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Budget and Policy Program. The analysis does not specifically mention nanotechnology funding figures.
