NSF Award
2205707
This award provides supplemental support for the annual 2021 NSF Nanoscale Science and Engineering (NSE) Grantees Conference. The project involves the production of a retrospective video documentary chronicling the inception, history, achievements and impacts of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) over the last 20 years as well as the progress of nanotechnology presented and discussed at the associated annual NSF-sponsored Nano-scale Science and Engineering (NSE) Grantees Conference. The documentary is tentatively titled "Creating a National Initiative: National Nanotechnology Initiative at 20 years." The production goal is to create a short video for distribution to a range of audiences, nanotechnology trade press, social media outlets, and educational institutions at all levels. Students, young faculty, women and under-represented minority students and the general public will benefit from the dissemination of nanotechnology and nanomanufacturing achievements and impacts through this video.<br/><br/>The annual NSE grantees conference serves as a program review and research networking event that highlights ongoing research and educational activities in various NSF nanotechnology science and engineering programs. The main theme of this conference is ‘nanomanufacturing’. A need for creating media to disseminate nanotechnology and nanomanufacturing achievements and impacts since the inception of the NNI was identified. To meet this need, a documentary video will be professionally created. The video will highlight how the NNI was created and why it was successful. It will also present the evolution, challenges and results of the NNI since its inception in January 2000. It will include interviews with selected contributors, experts and thought leaders in nanotechnology and nanomanufacturing. This is a unique opportunity to highlight achievements of 20 years of the NNI and associated NSF Nano Grantees Conference series. This understanding of the NNI model could be used to establish national initiatives in emerging and converging technologies such as QIS, advanced semiconductors, modern biology, AI, advanced wireless, and advanced manufacturing.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
