from the self-replicating-bureaucracies dept.
According to an extensive article on the SmallTimes website ("U.S. studies its nanotech plan to make sure itís on right path", by Jeff Karoub, 22 August 2001), the U.S. government has launched two projects to review its nanotechnology research and development efforts. Two committees organized by the National Research Council (NRC), an independent advisory body under the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) serving the government, will conduct the reviews.
The first will be a Review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative sponsored by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), which will take about 1 year. An interim report is due in October 2001 and a final report in May 2002. Information on the project, including scope, committee membership, and committee meetings is available on the NAS web site.
The second review will involve officials from the U.S. Air Force and Defense Department, and will examine the role of micro- and nanotechnologies in the military and how they could improve weapons systems and capabilities. The NRC released a report in June 2001 that recommended the U.S. Army embrace advancements in biotechnology.
