Quadrennial Review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (2025): Securing U.S. Global Leadership Through Renewed and Expanded Infrastructure (2025)

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Statement of Task

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will appoint an ad hoc committee to conduct the quadrennial review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI). The overall objective of this review is to make recommendations to the Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology Subcommittee of the White House National Science and Technology Council and to the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office that will improve the value of the NNI’s research and development strategy, portfolio, and infrastructure investments to enhance economic prosperity and national security of the United States. Toward this objective, this quadrennial NNI review will include the following tasks:

1. The committee will explore trends, opportunities, and emerging use cases for nanoscale research and development and examine how well positioned the nation’s nanotechnology-relevant infrastructure—including people, instruments, and facilities—is to be impactful in current and emerging use cases. Particular attention will be paid to the opportunities and barriers for sustaining and coordinating the nation’s global leadership in nanotechnology infrastructure.
2. Analyze the composition of the science and engineering community currently being served by the nation’s nanotechnology R&D infrastructure. Particular attention will be paid to exploring how geography, organization type (e.g., R1 vs. non-R1, academia vs. industry), career stage, project focus area, and other factors influence awareness availability and opportunity. The metrics used to track and evaluate success may also be considered.

3. Identify barriers to use for communities who are not fully engaging with nanotechnology R&D infrastructure. This may include, but is not limited to, examining the awareness, interaction models, peer-review models, financial and travel logistics, remote access resources, intellectual property and contractual agreements, opportunities to enhance data and resource sharing, and approaches to incentivizing use. If warranted, recommend possible improvements to assist in achieving impactful national engagement in, and use of, existing infrastructure.

This study may make recommendations on the topics listed above.

The statement of task was modified in February 2025.