Center for Nanotechnology in Society

Center for Nanotechnology in Society
Name	Center for Nanotechnology in Society
Established	2005
Type	Research center
Location	University of California, Santa Barbara

Center for Nanotechnology in Society is a research center focused on sociotechnical studies of nanoscale science and technology. The center examines interactions among Nanotechnology, Science and Technology Studies, public policy, risk assessment, and innovation systems across local and global contexts. It engages scholars and stakeholders from institutions such as the National Science Foundation, University of California, Santa Barbara, Arizona State University, University of Cambridge, and European Commission programs to shape discourse linked to regulatory regimes, industrial strategies, and civil society responses.

History

The center originated amid early-21st-century investments by the National Nanotechnology Initiative, responding to debates observed after incidents like the Asilomar Conference on Recombinant DNA and patterns identified by scholars in Thomas Kuhn-influenced science studies. Founding activity connected researchers from University of California, Arizona State University, Cornell University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and policy analysts from the Office of Science and Technology Policy and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Early projects traced lineage to reports by the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering on risk, and to regulatory discussions at the European Parliament and US Environmental Protection Agency about nanoparticle oversight. Over time the center collaborated with think tanks like the Brookings Institution, the RAND Corporation, and advocacy groups including Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace on scenario planning and governance experiments.

Mission and Objectives

The center’s mission emphasizes anticipatory governance informed by insights from Ulrich Beck, Sheila Jasanoff, Bruno Latour, and other scholars of sociology and philosophy of science. Objectives include mapping technological trajectories influenced by actors such as Intel Corporation, IBM, Samsung Electronics, BASF, DuPont, and 3M, and assessing impacts tied to markets like Semiconductor manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, energy storage, and agriculture. The center seeks to inform policy dialogues in venues such as the United Nations Environment Programme, World Health Organization, US Food and Drug Administration, and regional bodies like the European Commission, while engaging stakeholders including venture capital firms, trade associations such as the American Chemical Society, and consumer groups like the Consumers Union.

Research Programs

Research programs investigate governance frameworks, risk perception, and technology assessment drawing on methods used at institutions like Smithsonian Institution, Max Planck Society, and the Social Science Research Council. Themes include lifecycle analysis informed by standards from International Organization for Standardization, exposure science linking to Occupational Safety and Health Administration protocols, and socio-economic modeling referencing publications in Nature Nanotechnology and Science. Projects have partnered with laboratories such as Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and corporate R&D groups at Google and Microsoft Research. Comparative studies involve casework in locations including China, India, Brazil, South Africa, and Japan, and engage legal frameworks like the Toxic Substances Control Act and instruments from the European Chemicals Agency.

Education and Outreach

Educational efforts include graduate training modeled on curricula from Harvard University, Princeton University, and Yale University and public programs inspired by outreach at institutions like the American Museum of Natural History and Science Museum, London. The center develops materials for K–12 aligned with standards from the National Academy of Sciences and collaborates with media partners such as the PBS and BBC to communicate findings. Workshops and symposia have convened stakeholders from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Wellcome Trust, and professional societies including the American Association for the Advancement of Science and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Collaborators span universities including University of Oxford, Imperial College London, University of Toronto, McGill University, Peking University, and Tsinghua University; research consortia like the European Research Council and Horizon 2020; and agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, Department of Energy, and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Industry partnerships have involved Bayer, Siemens, Philips, Toyota Motor Corporation, and Boeing, while NGO engagement includes World Wildlife Fund, Oxfam, and Science for the People. Collaborative outputs have appeared in journals like Science, Nature, Public Understanding of Science, and Research Policy.

Impact and Criticism

The center influenced policy debates reflected in advisory reports to the National Research Council and consultation inputs to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Its anticipatory governance model drew praise from scholars associated with Princeton Project on National Security and critique from commentators in outlets such as The Economist and New York Times for perceived normative framing and limited engagement with certain industrial actors. Critics cite tensions similar to debates around the Human Genome Project and regulatory responses to asbestos and argue for broader inclusion of stakeholders like labor unions represented by the AFL–CIO and indigenous organizations such as the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity. Supporters point to comparative assessments influencing regulatory instruments in jurisdictions including the European Union and United States Congress.

Category:Nanotechnology research centers