NUE: Nanotechnology: Content and Context

授予莱斯大学的纳米技术本科教育(NUE)奖支持化学系Kristen M.Kulinowski博士开发和实施一门新的纳米技术课程。这门名为“纳米技术：内容和背景”的课程旨在通过为期一学期的多学科本科课程，介绍纳米技术的基本科学和技术内容，以及纳米技术研究的基本伦理、政治和社会背景。科学/工程专业和社会科学/人文专业的学生都将受益于在同一节课上学习特定的技术以及科学技术的社会影响和文化意义。学生将直接与工作中的科学家和公众就其对社会的潜在影响展开激烈的辩论。他们将被要求了解纳米技术的技术知识(例如，可视化、实验、制造的方法，以及评估什么是技术上可行的，什么是不可行的)，以及对科学和技术研究作为一个社会和政治过程的细微差别的理解(伦理、法规、风险评估、历史、资金、知识产权、争议和冲突等问题)。通过在课堂上结合这些技能，拟议的工作将在年轻一代中培养对新兴领域的科学和技术进行批判性和平民化的讨论。Kulinowski博士和人类学系的Chris Kelty教授以及科学、工程和社会科学学院的其他几名教职员工一起参与了这项工作。该奖项的提议是对NSF 03-444类纳米科学和工程教育公告的回应，并由工程局(ENG)的工程教育和中心司(EEC)和社会、行为和经济科学局(SBE)的社会科学和经济学部(SES)共同资助。

This Nanotechnology in Undergraduate Education (NUE) award to Rice University supports Dr. Kristen M. Kulinowski, Department of Chemistry, for her work to develop and implement a new course on nanotechnology. The course, entitled "Nanotechnology: Content and Context," aims to introduce the essential scientific and technical content of nanotechnology and the essential ethical, political and social contexts of nanotechnology research through a one-semester multi-disciplinary undergraduate course. Science/engineering majors and social science/humanities majors alike will benefit by learning about both the specific technology and the social impacts and cultural meaning of science and technology in the same class. Students will engage directly with both working scientists and with the heated public debate over its potential impacts on society. They will be asked to acquire a technical understanding of nanotechnology (e.g., the methods of visualization, experimentation, manufacture, and the evaluation of what is and is not technically feasible) as well as a nuanced understanding of scientific and technical research as a social and political process (issues of ethics, regulation, risk assessment, history, funding, intellectual property, controversy and conflict). By combining these skills in the classroom the proposed work will cultivate a critical and civil discussion of science and technology in an emerging field amongst a younger generation. Dr. Kulinowski is joined in this work by Professor Chris Kelty in the Anthropology department and several other faculty members from the schools of science, engineering and social science.The proposal for this award was received in response to the Nanoscale Science and Engineering Education announcement, NSF 03-444, category NUE and was jointly funded by the Divison of Engineering Education and Centers (EEC) in the Directorate for Engineering (ENG) and the Division of Social and Economic Sciences (SES) in the Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE).