According to the council,
the committee that authored the report recognizes the considerable global effort
to identify research needs for the development and safe use of nanotechnology, including
those of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI). However, the committee concludes that insufficient
linkage exists between research and research findings and the creation of risk prevention and management strategies. Therefore, the committee says, “there
is a need for a research strategy that is independent of any one stakeholder
group, has human and environmental health as its primary focus, builds on past
efforts, and is flexible in anticipating and adjusting to emerging challenges.”
The committee identified four research categories that
should be addressed within 5 years:
- Identify and quantify nanomaterials being released and populations and environments being exposed.
- Understand processes that affect both potential hazards and exposure.
- Examine nanomaterial interactions in complex systems ranging from subcellular to ecosystems.
- Support an adaptive research and knowledge infrastructure for accelerating progress and providing rapid feedback to advance research.
Although the committee calls for the integration of domestic
and global particpants, including NNI, in the strategy implementation, it says
that the current structure of NNI hinders effective implementation. “There is
concern that dual and potentially conflicting roles of the NNI, such as
developing and promoting nanotechnology while identifying and mitigating risks
that arise from its use, impede application and evaluation of health and
environmental risk research,” the committee says. “To carry out the research
strategy effectively, a clear separation of management and budgetary authority
and accountability between promoting nanotechnology and assessing potential
environmental and safety risks is essential.”