NER: Social and Ethical Dimensions of Nanotechnology

摘要：纳米技术的社会与伦理维度项目# 02104552迈克尔·戈尔曼，弗吉尼亚大学确定一项技术革命对社会有益的最佳时机是在开始的时候。纳米技术的进步需要工程师、科学家、伦理学家和社会科学家之间的合作，以最大限度地造福社会的方式推进这一领域。这个探索性奖项相当于“概念证明”的努力，涉及弗吉尼亚大学跨学科团队在NIRT项目上的合作能力，以开发理解纳米技术社会影响的新方向。这涉及到两个具体因素。第一步是在MRSEC中启动一个新的研究项目。这个项目是由共同的pi之间的互动来定义的，并涉及一个对纳米技术的社会维度感兴趣的新研究生。她正在MRSEC进行一个新项目，该项目反映了她自己融入实验室环境的过程，特别是她的项目选择和研究的社会和伦理层面。一位外部顾问正在协助培训学生参与观察的技术和方法。这种共享监督是我们希望通过NIRT奖实现的一个模型。第二个要素涉及与MRSEC内新纳米技术的社会影响相关的案例研究的发展。为了吸引在读研究生，该项目为4名学生提供2000美元的奖励。他们将开发案例研究，在罗莎琳·伯尔尼的TCC 401部分向大约60名四年级工程本科生，以及迈克·戈尔曼的一年级工程师荣誉课程中进行展示。目标是制作两个案例研究，每个案例研究由一个由MRSEC研究生和一个具有适当STS背景的学生组成的团队准备，这些学生要么来自我们的系统工程/伦理学选项，要么来自实践伦理学研究所。这些案例研究涵盖了纳米技术研究中的社会和伦理困境，这些困境是从当前研究中推断出来的。这个配对过程是我们提案中所要求的MRSEC和STS学生长期配对的第一步。所有这些努力的最终结果将证明，关注社会维度可以提高MRSEC所产生的科学研究的价值。伦理不仅仅是一项开销，也就是说，它是一项让科学家和工程师从他们的实际工作中分心的重要活动。如果不把社会维度纳入研究计划，纳米技术将无法实现其全部承诺。转基因生物就是一个例子：一种旨在养活世界的技术，正被世界上大多数人以道德为由拒绝。纳米技术有把技术可能性误认为社会机会的风险。因此，对社会维度的研究对纳米技术的成功至关重要。

ABSTRACTNER: Social and Ethical Dimensions of NanotechnologyProject # 0210452Michael Gorman, University of VirginiaThe best time to make certain a technological revolution will be beneficial to societyis in the beginning. Progress in nanotechnology requires cooperation amongengineers, scientists, ethicists and social scientists focused on advancing the field in away that promises the maximum benefit to society. This exploratory-type award amounts to 'proof of concept' effort concerning the ability of the interdisciplinary team at the University of Virginia to work together on a NIRT project to develop new directions in the understanding of societal implications of nanotechnology. Two specific elements are involved. The first step is initiation of a new research project in the MRSEC. This project is defined by interaction among the co-PIs and involves a new graduate student who is interested in societal dimensions of nanotechnology. She is conducting a new project in the MRSEC and the work reflects on her own process of enculturation into the laboratory environment--particularly the social and ethical dimensions of her project choices and research. An outside consultant is assisting in the training of student in participant observation techniques and methodologies.. This shared supervision is a model for what we hope to accomplish with a NIRT award.The second element involves the development of case studies related to the societal implications of new nano-technologies within the MRSEC. To engage current graduate students, the project provides $2000 awards for 4 students. They are to develop case-studies for presentation in Rosalyne Berne's section of TCC 401 to about 60 engineering undergraduates in their fourth year, and also in Mike Gorman's first-year honors course for entering engineers. The objective is production of two case-studies, each prepared by a team consisting of one MRSEC graduate student and one student with an appropriate STS background, either in our systems engineering/ethics option or from the Institute for Practical Ethics. The case-studies cover social and ethical dilemmas in nanotechnology research that are extrapolations from current research. This pairing process is a first step towards the kind of longer-term pairing of MRSEC and STS students called for in our proposal.The end result of all of these efforts will be a demonstration that a focus on societal dimensions can enhance the value of the scientific research produced by a MRSEC. Ethics are not just overhead, i.e., an important activity that diverts scientists and engineers from their real work. Nanotechnology will fail to realize its full promise if social dimensions are not built into the research program. GMOs are an example: a technology designed to feed the world that is being rejected by much of the world on ethical grounds. Nanotechnology risks mistaking technological possibility for social opportunity. Research into societal dimensions is therefore critical to the success of nanotechnology.