National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO)

The National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO) provides technical and administrative support to the Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology (NSET) Subcommittee, serves as a central point of contact for Federal nanotechnology R&D activities, and provides public outreach on behalf of the National Nanotechnology Initiative.

The activities of the NNCO are numerous. The NNCO coordinates the preparation and publication of NNI interagency planning, budget, and assessment documents, such as the annual NNI supplement to the President's budget. The NNCO organizes meetings of the NSET subcommittee and its working groups. It also organizes NNI-sponsored workshops and, as appropriate, prepares and publishes reports of those workshops. The NNCO maintains www.nano.gov and coordinates development of infomraiton on the NNI and its activities for Congress when requested. The NNCO was established in 2001 by a memorandum of understanding among the eight agencies participating in the NNI at that time, and is funded by NSET Subcommittee agency contributions.

The NNCO Director is detailed from a Federal agency to the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) and is appointed by the White House Co-Chair of the NSTC Committee on Technology (CT), in consultation with the Chair of the NSET Subcommittee. The NNCO Director reports to the White House Co-Chair of the CT. The NNCO Director is charged in the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (Public Law 108-153) to arrange, on behalf of the NSET Subcommittee agencies, with the National Research Council of the National Academies to conduct a triennial review of the NNI and transmit the results of these evaluations to Congress.

Contact information

Staff