Societal Implications of Nanotechnology

Research and development of materials and processes, electronics, and medical devices at the nanoscale will likely challenge existing systems for evaluating and regulating technological advances. The Nanoscience and Society Research Group (NSRG) is an integral member of the NSF-funded Center for Hierarchical Manufacturing at UMass Amherst and is examining the societal implications of nanotechnology. Its affiliated faculty are out in front nationally in their expertise on how innovation works in networks of scientists, universities and firms; how scientists, policymakers and managers approach risk and its management in the context of emerging technologies and policies; and how nanoscience and technology knowledge can be diffused effectively using cyberinfrastructure and cybertools. The NSRG is organizing three academic workshops in these areas.