National Science and Technology Council (NSTC)Committee on Technology

Subcommittee on Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology (NSET)
(Excerpts from the NSTC/NSET Terms of Reference)

PURPOSE

The purpose of the NSET Subcommittee is to coordinate multi-agency NSET R&D to (1) assure continued U.S. leadership in NSET; (2) satisfy the needs of the Federal government for advanced NSET; and (3) accelerate development and deployment of advanced NSET to maintain world leadership in science and engineering; enhance national security; improve U.S. productivity and competitiveness and promote long-term economic growth; improve the health of the U.S. citizenry; protect the environment; improve education, training, and life long learning, and improve the quality of life.

SCOPE

• Planning, budgeting, implementation, and review of multi-agency Federal R&D in NSET, including appropriate interaction with the Congress, OMB, OSTP, academia, and industry
• Interaction with Federal departments and agencies that need advanced NSET to identify those needs and to accelerate the deployment of the technologies
• Provide technical assistance to and coordinate implementation of recommendations by the President's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) and the National Research Council

FUNCTIONS

• Produce an annual Supplement to the President's Budget and an annual Implementation Plan
• Hold regular meetings of the NSET Subcommittee or its Executive Committee including day-long Spring Planning meetings and Fall Budget/Technical Reviews
• Establish working groups for special tasks as determined by the NSET, and oversee those activities
• Interact with and prepare information for Congress on behalf of agencies on issues relevant to their participation in NSET activities
• Coordinate science and technology planning activities with OSTP and budget activities with OMB
• Coordinate with other NSTC Subcommittees and Interagency Working Groups particularly on application of NSET
• Develop proposed long-range plans for Federal NSET R&D as appropriate
• The National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO) will be created to serve as the Secretariat to the Subcommittee, providing day-to-day technical and administrative support to any Subcommittee working groups that may be created by the Subcommittee
• Intra- and inter-agency coordination, fact finding, working group efforts, and planning will occur between the formal, scheduled Subcommittee and Executive Committee meetings.

DELIVERABLES/PRODUCTS

Annual Supplement to the President's budget

Annual NSET R&D Implementation plan

Multi-year Implementation plan for any new initiatives

Annual external review of NNI progress relative to goals in its prior year implementation plan, and implementation plans and budget for the upcoming fiscal year.