A bill (S. 2945) that would expand on the current National
Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) was passed unanimously by the
Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on
September 19, only two days after its introduction by Senator Ron
Wyden (D-OR). A September 17 hearing by Wyden's Science,
Technology, and Space Subcommittee generated plaudits for the
existing national program and support for Wyden's bill, but
concerns about relations between industry and universities and
the effect on transferring government-funded research to the
marketplace.
The current multi-agency NNI
program was established by President Clinton in FY 2001. Wyden complimented
the existing program but added that the purpose of his legislation is
to "do a bit better." S. 2945 would enhance the coordination,
funding, and management of federal nanotechnology R&D. It would
authorize establishment of a presidential advisory panel, a national
coordinating office, and a biennial National Research Council (NRC)
survey of international progress in the field, and would support long-term
research, interdisciplinary research centers and infrastructure, transfer
of technology to industry and greater consideration of the societal,
ethical, education and workforce issues related to nanotechnology.
Richard Russell, OSTP Associate Director for Technology,
expressed the Administration's strong support for nanotechnology
R&D, remarking that a 17 percent increase has been requested for
FY 2003, and it has been identified as one of six federal R&D
priorities for the 2004 fiscal year. The other witnesses praised
NNI for bringing recognition and legitimacy to the field; Mark
Modzelewski of the NanoBusiness Alliance termed it "an
incredible instance of government outpacing the imagination of
the private sector." However, he added, as early nanotechnology
research moves to commercialization, federal support must be
extended to address issues of technology transfer, scaling,
integration, intellectual property, and workforce training and
safety: "We are now at a crossroads where we must expand [the
program's] reach from the lab to the boardroom." He called S.
2945 "a vital and timely bill that builds on the work of the
NNI." Nathan Swami of Virginia's Initiative for Nanotechnology
also enthusiastically endorsed the bill but recommended greater
integration of state and regional entities.
Samuel Stupp of Northwestern University, who chaired a recent NRC review
of the NNI ("Small Wonders, Endless Frontiers," http://www.nap.edu/books/0309084547/html),
reported that his committee was impressed with the leadership of the
NNI and the merit of the research funded to date. The committee's recommendations
for strengthening the program include establishing an independent advisory
board, an overarching strategic plan, and performance metrics; increasing
investments at the intersection of nanotechnology and biology; focusing
more on societal implications; and nurturing both interagency and public-private
partnerships.
The witnesses discussed the need for a well-trained, interdisciplinary
U.S. workforce to take advantage of the opportunities in nanotechnology,
and called for greater attention to the applications of nanotechnology
to medical science. The issue that generated the greatest concern was
the ability of universities to work with companies to move research
results to industry. To stay ahead internationally, the U.S. needs to
leverage the contributions of all sectors, Stan Williams of Hewlett-Packard
said, but "relations between universities and corporations have
rarely been worse." He commented that it was easier for Hewlett-Packard
to start up a research collaboration with a university in Russia or
France than with one "a few miles down the road." Modzelewski
called the process of technology transfer from academia to industry
"impossible at worst, arduous at best." Williams felt the
Bayh-Dole Act encourages universities, when granting intellectual property
licenses, to favor small companies (often started by faculty members)
over larger companies that have supported much of the research, noting
that "a lot of large companies have been burned a lot of times."
Others agreed that many universities were difficult to bargain with,
but Stupp cautioned that the concept of university-industry collaboration
was "still pretty young" and would be worked out over time.
This was clearly an issue of abiding interest to Wyden, who recommended
a multi-sector task force to investigate it. Russell responded that
the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST)
has been asked to look into the concerns.
With the nanotechnology initiative, Wyden concluded, "here's a
chance for a model for our times. We can use it over and over
again if we do it right." The bill is cosponsored by Senators
George Allen (R-VA), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Joseph Lieberman (D-
CT), Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Barbara Mikulski (D-MD). No
companion bill for S. 2945 has yet been introduced in the House.
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