MICROELECTRONIC SYSTEMS NEWS

FILENUMBER: 1048 BEGIN_KEYWORDS NANOTECHNOLOGY INITIATIVES END_KEYWORDS DATE: March 2002 TITLE: NANOTECHNOLOGY INITIATIVES
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TITLE: NANOTECHNOLOGY INITIATIVES

Nanotechnology refers to a variety of  activities  which  involve
investigations   at  the  level  of  atoms  and  molecules  where
dimensions and tolerances in the range of 0.1nm to 100 nm play  a
critical  role.  The  field  encompasses precision engineering as
well as  electronics;  electromechanical  systems  (lab-on-a-chip
devices)  as  well  as mainstream biomedical applications such as
gene therapy, drug delivery and novel drug discovery techniques.

Researchers  are  beginning  to  create  large  structures   with
fundamentally  new  properties and functions which are leading to
unprecedented understanding and control over the  basic  building
blocks  and properties of all natural and man-made things. In the
United States, ten federal departments and  independent  agencies
have collaborated to form the National nanotechnology Initiative.
It  emphasizes   long-term,   fundamental   research   aimed   at
discovering  novel  phenomena,  processes,  and tools; addressing
grand challenges; supporting new  interdisciplinary  centers  and
networks   of   excellence   including  shared  user  facilities;
supporting research infrastructure; and addressing  research  and
educational  activities  on the societal implications of advances
in nanoscience and nanotechnology.

For additional information, access: NANO-GOV

The International Technology Research Institute at Loyola College
in  Maryland  hosts  a  website sponsored by the National Science
Foundation  to  provide  up-to-date  sources  and   links   about
nanotechnology  research  centers,  funding agencies, reports and
books.  For additional information, access: NANOBASE

The  Institute  of  Nanotechnology,  located  in  the  U.K.,  was
established  in  1997  to  provide  a  focus  for  the burgeoning
interest in nanotechnology, encourage new research and  keep  the
public  aware  of  developments  in  this  emerging  field.   For
additional information, access: NANO-ORG

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