NIRT: Nanotechnology and its Publics

这个NSF“试点”项目汇集了来自宾夕法尼亚州立大学、康奈尔大学和宾夕法尼亚大学的研究人员，围绕纳米技术及其公众的共同主题，建立了一个综合研究和教育计划，解决纳米技术的社会影响方面的各种但相互关联的主题。更具体地说，这个试点项目的目的是建立一个基础，以便全面研究纳米技术及其公众，包括公共政策、经济、环境、公众舆论和媒体，以及伦理问题。将利用种子赠款资金开展五项活动。这些是：1)进行案例研究，以提高对州政府纳米技术政策举措的理解；2)进行个案研究，探讨纳米技术研究的商业化模式；3)进行全国民意调查，以衡量公众对纳米技术社会影响的看法；4)开展二次研究，提高对纳米技术环境问题的认识；5)开展研究以提高对纳米技术的伦理和法律问题的理解。探索性的定性研究将以宾夕法尼亚州为对象，收集初步数据，以产生关于州政策的影响和效力的假设，以及实验室研究商业化的途径。关于纳米技术研究的商业化模式，将至少从三个方面审视基层的商业化：知识产权；开办公司的普遍程度和性质，以及它们在推动技术走向商业应用方面所起的作用；同样，对于老牌企业来说，它们在纳米技术中的利益是什么？它们与国家资助的技术创造努力之间的关系是什么？对于全国民意调查，康奈尔大学将进行一项关于公众对纳米技术的社会影响的态度的全国民意调查。调查将包括对500名成年人分层随机抽样的电话采访。该调查工具将用于测量公众对媒体报道纳米技术的反应，以及公众对与纳米技术、纳米技术商业化和经济发展、纳米技术对环境的影响以及纳米技术对伦理和法律的影响有关的各种公共政策的态度。在环境问题方面，计划小组将进行二次研究，探讨有关纳米科技的环境及伦理问题。这将包括检查由美国国家科学基金会和其他机构赞助的纳米技术研究项目的环境重点，并审查学术文献和其他来源，以确定纳米技术研究项目对其他重点领域的潜在环境影响，如纳米生物系统、纳米结构、纳米制造、纳米器件等。最后，在伦理及法律问题方面，计划小组亦会与专家小组讨论，透过文献回顾，探讨有关纳米科技的伦理及法律问题。一些在伦理、法律、宗教研究和纳米科学与工程领域的杰出学者已被确定为潜在的小组参与者。将通过本种子项目的其他四个重点和其他来源确定其他参与者。其中一组讨论将作为2004年在费城举行的纳米技术及其公众研讨会的一部分，由宾夕法尼亚大学领导。第二组讨论将作为2005年与南卡罗来纳大学合作举行的关于纳米技术的社会影响的全国会议的一部分举行。南卡罗来纳大学通过其NIRT：从实验室到社会：开发纳米科学与技术的信息方法，目前正在组织关于纳米技术的社会影响的半年度会议。纳米技术及其公众种子项目团队将在2005年通过南卡罗来纳大学已建立的全国系列会议组织一次关于伦理和法律问题的讨论。

Geiger0403783This NSF "pilot" project brings together researchers from Penn State, Cornell University, and the University of Pennsylvania to build an integrated research and education program addressing varied but interconnected topics on societal implications of nanotechnology, around the common theme of nanotechnology and its publics. More specifically, the aim of this pilot project is to establish a foundation for comprehensive examination of nanotechnology and its publics, encompassing public policy, economic, environmental, public opinion and the media, and ethical issues. Five activities will be carried out with seed grant funding. These are 1) conduct a case study to improve understanding of state government nanotechnology policy initiatives; 2) conduct a case study to examine patterns of commercialization of nanotechnology research; 3) conduct a national public opinion survey to measure public perceptions about societal implications of nanotechnology; 4)conduct secondary research to improve understanding of environmental issues of nanotechnology; and 5) conduct research to improve understanding of ethical and legal issues of nanotechnology. Exploratory qualitative research on a single state, Pennsylvania, will gather preliminary data for generating hypotheses about the impact and efficacy of state policies, on one side, and the pathways of commercialization of laboratory research on the other. Regarding patterns of commercialization of Nanotechnology Research , commercialization at the grass roots will be examined through at least three lenses: Intellectual property; the prevalence and nature of start-up firms, and the role they play in advancing technology toward commercial applications; and, similarly with established corporations, what is their stake in nanotechnology and what is their relationship to state-subsidized efforts for technology creation. For the National Public Opinion Survey, Cornell University will conduct a national opinion survey on public attitudes toward societal implications of nanotechnology. The survey will involve telephone interviews with a stratified random sample of 500 adults. The survey instrument will be designed to measure public responses to media coverage of nanotechnology, as well as public attitudes toward various public policies relating to nanotechnology, nanotechnology commercialization and economic development, environmental implications of nanotechnology, and ethical and legal implications of nanotechnology. Regarding Environmental Issues, the project team will conduct secondary research to explore environmental and ethical issues about nanotechnology. This will involve examining nanotechnology research programs with environmental thrusts sponsored by NSF and other agencies, and reviewing scholarly literature and other sources to identify potential environmental impacts of nanotechnology research programs addressing other thrust areas, such as nanobiosystems, nanostructures, nanomanufacturing, nanodevices, and others. Finally, regarding Ethical and Legal Issues, the project team will also explore ethical and legal issues about nanotechnology through literature reviews by discussions with panels of experts. A number of prominent scholars in ethics, law, religious studies, and nanoscale science and engineering have been identified as potential panel participants. Additional participants will be identified through the other four thrusts comprising this seed project, and from other sources. One set of discussions will take place as part of a workshop on Nanotechnology and Its Publics to be held in 2004 in Philadelphia with leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. A second set of discussions will be held as part of a national conference on societal implications of nanotechnology to be held in 2005 in partnership with the University of South Carolina. The University of South Carolina, through its NIRT: From Laboratory to Society: Developing an Informed Approach to Nanoscale Science and Technology, is currently organizing semi-annual conferences on the societal implications of nanotechnology. The Nanotechnology and Its Publics seed project team will organize a discussion on ethical and legal issues through the established University of South Carolina national conference series in 2005.