Award Abstract #0210552
NIRT: Philosophical and Social Dimensions of Nanoscale Research: Developing a Rational Approach to a Newly Emerging Science and Technology

NSF Org:	CBET Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems
Initial Amendment Date:	August 7, 2002
Latest Amendment Date:	August 7, 2002
Award Number:	0210552
Award Instrument:	Standard Grant
Program Manager:	Douglas D. Frey CBET Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems ENG Directorate for Engineering
Start Date:	August 15, 2002
Expires:	July 31, 2003 (Estimated)
Awarded Amount to Date:	$175000
Investigator(s):	Davis Baird db@sc.edu (Principal Investigator) Alfred Nordmann (Co-Principal Investigator) George Khushf (Co-Principal Investigator) David Berube (Co-Principal Investigator) RIG Hughes (Co-Principal Investigator)
Sponsor:	University South Carolina Research Foundation 901 Sumter Street Columbia, SC 29208 803/777-7093
NSF Program(s):	CHEMICAL & BIOLOGICAL SEPAR, PARTICULATE &MULTIPHASE PROCES, INTERFAC PROCESSES & THERMODYN, Hist & Philosophy of SET
Field Application(s):	0308000 Industrial Technology
Program Reference Code(s):	OTHR, 9150, 1674, 0000
Program Element Code(s):	1417, 1415, 1414, 1353

ABSTRACT

NIRT: Philosophical and Social Dimensions of Nanoscale Research -Developing a Rational Approach to a Newly Emerging Science and Technology

Nanoscale science and engineering presents new challenges and opportunities not only to the scientific research community but also to all those who shape its public understanding. As nanoscale researchers claim a middle ground between nano-visionaries and nano-skeptics, the public also seeks a middle ground between overreaching "hype" and irrational fear. This award is on an exploratory scale and is designed to enable the interdisciplinary research team to develop approaches to two main objectives. First it will develop activities that establish a broad interdisciplinary dialog on nanoscale science and technology that includes the public as well as interested social and natural scientists and engineers. This activity will be built around the NanoCenter of the University of South Carolina. Second, interdisciplinary teams of researchers will begin work on four specific research projects ("task areas") aimed at elucidating the rational middle ground for understanding nanoscale science and technology.

Activities to be pursued as part of the interdisciplinary include: a Summer Workshop on "Reading Nano-science and -technology; " a Fall Symposium on "Nano-science and -technology and the Environment;" a Spring Conference "Discovering the Nanoscale," that focuses on a "science studies" audience with the hope of follow-up conference six months later in Darmstadt Germany; a regular series of "Nano Lunches" on the Columbia campus in fall 2003; and a website and archive for the project.

The pursuit of this first objective allows for the achievement of the second objective, namely to rationally understand nanoscale research at the appropriate middle ground between visionary hype and skeptical or irrational fear. The research team focuses on the concepts of understanding and control, concepts that are central to the rational comprehension of opportunities and risks. Four specific topics will be developed:



1) Stability and Control of Nano-science and -technology (How experimental, theoretical and technological work on the nanoscale produces stable phenomena over which we have significant control);



2) Imagining and Imaging the Nanoscale (How our abilities to imagine the nanoscale (both in words and in drawings) and our abilities to image the nanoscale (specifically with various nanoscale microscopes) interact, and how the pictures of the nanoscale that result effect scientific, technological and public understanding of the nanoscale);



3) Risk and Problems of Self-replication and Cascading Effects with Nanoscale Technology (How to consider and control the special issues of risk posed by nanoscale interventions, specifically the use of self-replication and its potential for cascading effects. Analogies with work in genetic engineering will be developed); and



4) The Public Face of Nano-science and -technology (How nano-science and -technology is presented to the public and how the public has reacted to it. Connections with legal and democratic infrastructure will be developed.)

Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.