National Nanotechnology Initiative

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File:NNI Funding by Agency, 2001-2025.png
The President's 2025 Budget requests an all-time record of $2.2 billion for the NNI, with a sustained investment in foundational research that will fuel new discoveries and increasing investments in application-driven R&D to advance technologies of the future and address national priorities. Cumulative NNI funding since its inception in 2001 totals over $45 billion (including the 2025 request). The President's 2025 Budget supports nanoscale science, engineering, and technology R&D at 12 agencies.

The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) is a research and development initiative which provides a framework to coordinate nanoscale research and resources among United States federal government agencies and departments.

History

In the late 1990's, nanotechnology was emerging as a particularly high potential field and President Bill Clinton advocated for federal nanotechnology development.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In addition to Clinton himself, many credit Presidential Science Advisor Neal Lane and Mihail C. Roco of the NSF with championing an initiative in a 1999 presentation to the White House.<ref>Dr. Mihail C. Roco: Senior Advisor for Nanotechnology, National Science Foundation Template:Webarchive at NSF Directorate of Engineering website</ref><ref>M.C. Roco, R.S. Williams, and P. Alivisatos. Nanotechnology Research Directions: Vision for Nanotechnology R&D in the Next Decade. National Science and Technology Council, White House 1999, reprinted Springer 2000, http://www.nano.gov/sites/default/files/pub_resource/research_directions_1999.pdf</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>M.C. Roco, C.A. Mirkin, and M.C. Hersam. Nanotechnology Research Directions for Societal Needs in 2020: Retrospective and Outlook, Springer 2011, https://www.nano.gov/node/948</ref><ref>M.C. Roco, W.S. Bainbridge, B. Tonn, and G. Whitesides. Convergence of Knowledge, Technology, and Society: Beyond Convergence of NANO-BIO-INFO-COGNITIVE Technologies, Springer, 2013, http://www.wtec.org/NBIC2-Report/</ref><ref name="doi.org">Template:Cite journal</ref>

In a 21 January 2000 speech [1] at the California Institute of Technology, Clinton stated that "Some of our research goals may take twenty or more years to achieve, but that is precisely why there is an important role for the federal government." The NNI was officially launched in 2000 and received funding for the first time in FY2001.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

President George W. Bush further increased funding for nanotechnology. On 3 December 2003 Bush signed into law the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (Template:USPL), which authorizes expenditures for five of the participating agencies totaling $3.63 billion over four years.[2]. This law is an authorization, not an appropriation, and subsequent appropriations for these five agencies have not met the goals set out in the 2003 Act. However, there are many agencies involved in the Initiative that are not covered by the Act, and cumulative NNI funding since its inception in 2001 totals over $45 billion through the 2025 request.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The National Nanotechnology Initiative has released Strategic Plans in 2004, 2007, 2011, 2014, 2016, and 2021 that outline goals and "program component areas," as required under the terms of the Act.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In addition, the NNI community developed an environmental health and safety research strategy in 2011, which was significantly updated in 2024.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This work expanded the scope of study on the impacts of nanotechnology to include incidental nanomaterials of concern, such as micro and nanoplastics and materials created through the use of 3D printers.

The NNI annually prepares a Supplement to the President's Budget that summarize federal programmatic activities and address plans for the upcoming fiscal year. The Federal agencies with the largest investments are the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, Department of Defense, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The NNI received support for emerging technologies during the first Trump administration, particularly in the foundational role that nanotechnology plays in the emergence of quantum information technologies, artificial intelligence, and semiconductors. However, under Trump administration leadership, the activity and impact of NNI activities were scaled back.

The Biden administration and new NNI leadership revitalized the nanotechnology community and interagency collaboration through a number of new programs, activities, and initiatives. In particular, they placed a special focus on clean energy and mitigating climate change through the Nano4EARTH challenge.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They also expanded the NNI to recognize that nanotechnology has become pervasive in material, energy and biosystem related discoveries and applications.<ref name="doi.org" /> Other areas of interest included the study of micro and nanoplastics;<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref><ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref> ensuring greater accessibility and better networked user facilities;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and strengthening and broadening interaction collaboration.

The areas of emphasis and leadership from the first Trump administration continued into the second Trump administration.

Goals

The five goals of NNI are:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

  1. Ensure that the United States remains a world leader in nanotechnology research and development.
  2. Promote commercialization of nanotechnology R&D.
  3. Provide the infrastructure to sustainably support nanotechnology research, development, and deployment.
  4. Engage the public and expand the nanotechnology workforce.
  5. Ensure the responsible development of nanotechnology.

Initiatives

Throughout the history of the National Nanotechnology Initiative, there have been a variety of programs and challenges aimed at aligning the field with the highest priorities of the nation.

National Nanotechnology Challenges

With the development of the most recent NNI Strategic Plan in 2021, the NNI created National Nanotechnology Challenges (NNC).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The first NNC, Nano4EARTH, was announced by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) on National Nanotechnology Day in 2022.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Nano4EARTH was designed to mobilize the nanotechnology community to work across disciplines and stakeholder groups to accelerate the development, scale-up, and adoption of technologies to address challenges faced by the earth and its environment. The breadth and versatility of nanotechnology enable a unique opportunity to protect the earth and its environment, while increasing domestic energy efficiency.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A two-day workshop identified four strategic areas of near-term opportunity: batteries and energy storage; catalysis; coatings, lubricants, membranes, and other interface technology; and capture of greenhouse gases.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> These topics have created a framework that has stimulated international discussion focused on the role nanotechnology and other emerging technologies can play in addressing climate and sustainability issues.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Examples of Previous Signature Initiatives and Grand Challenge Topics

  • Water Sustainability through Nanotechnology – Nanoscale Solutions for a Global-Scale Challenge
  • Nanotechnology for Sensors and Sensors for Nanotechnology – Improving and Protecting Health, Safety, and the Environment
  • Sustainable Nanomanufacturing - Creating the Industries of the Future
  • Nanoelectronics for 2020 and Beyond
  • Nanotechnology for Solar Energy Collection and Conversion - Contributing to Energy Solutions for the Future
  • Nanotechnology Knowledge Infrastructure - Enabling National Leadership in Sustainable Design
  • Future Computing: Create a new type of computer that can proactively interpret and learn from data, solve unfamiliar problems using what it has learned, and operate with the energy efficiency of the human brain

Participating Federal Agencies and Departments

Departments and agencies with nanotechnology R&D budgets:Template:Columns-list

Other participating departments and agencies:Template:Columns-list

Governance

Established by the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (Template:USPL), the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO) conducts public engagement on behalf of the NNI and provides technical and administrative support to the Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) and the interagency nanotechnology community. NNCO activities include efforts to convene the nanotechnology community, share information on available resources and opportunities, engage with the public, excite students about nanotechnology, and share highlights and information about nanotechnology and the NNI. The NNCO Director also serves in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>

Directors of the NNCO:

Impact

The NNI tracks annual federal investments through an Office of Management and Budget (OMB) data call, which is published in the NNI Supplement to the President's Budget.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Through fiscal year 2025, the United States $45B into the field of nanotechnology through the NNI.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> These annual reports provide highlights of outcomes but comprehensive analysis is challenging because of the complex nonlinear path between initial investment and technical or economic outcomes. Furthermore, the field of nanotechnology is fundamental to many other areas of science and only loosely defined.

A small number of studies have attempted to evaluate the effects of the NNI objectively. A study of Corporate and University Nanotechnology patenting published in 2023, looked at patent grants since the launch of the NNI in 2000 through 2009 and maintenance events on those patents through 2021. US-invented nanopatents with US assignees, were somewhat more apt to renew at least once (14.5% vs. 11.7%) compared to the US -assignees on average, but somewhat less inclined to pay for full maintenance of 20 years from filing (40.5% vs. 52.5%). The lower propensity to renew could be attributed to a quickly changing technology-landscape.<ref name="World Pat Inf 2023">Template:Cite journal</ref>

The Executive Office of the President's National Science and Technology Council worked with the U.S. Census Bureau to add a specific code to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) for the purpose of classifying nanotechnology-related businesses.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Data from the 2017 Economic Census revealed that over 3,700 companies – with over 171,000 employees – self-identified as primarily being in the business of Nanotechnology R&D. These companies reported $42 billion in revenue and $20 billion in employee salaries.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Data from the 2022 Census showed that over 1,600 companies employing over 207,000 people earned over $44.5B in revenue under the Nanotechnology R&D classification.

An independent study by the Parnin Group focusing on the aggregated revenues of a select list of nanotechnology companies has estimated that the 2022 economic impact of nanotechnology on the U.S. economy was between $67 billion and $83 billion and close to a trillion dollars over the past two decades. According to the study, these numbers only represent a relatively small number of companies that are clearly classified as nanotechnology and ignores the field's critical supporting role in several large commercial sectors. The study pointed to the estimated $268 – 297 billion in 2022 from the closely related industry – microelectronics and semiconductors – to provide anecdotal evidence of the full magnitude of nanotechnology on the nation's economy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Periodic evaluations of the NNI are conducted by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). The most recent PCAST report in 2023 recommended an update to the legislation, expanded interagency collaboration, and focus on multidisciplinary experiential training.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The most recent NASEM review in 2020 discussed the importance of the NNI within the context of international competitiveness.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

The impact of the NNI was recognized through several events and activities that celebrated the 20th anniversary of the program.<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref> Most notably, in 2024 a symposium was held at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine that featured congratulatory messages and forward-looking thoughts from government and industry leaders, as well as established and earlier career researchers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Moderated by NNCO Director, Branden Brough, notable participants included:

See also

References

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