About the NNI

Welcome to the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) website. The NNI serves as the central point of communication, cooperation, and collaboration for all Federal agencies engaged in nanotechnology research, bringing together the expertise needed to advance this broad and complex field.

The Initiative has had strong, bipartisan support from the Executive and Legislative branches of Government since its creation in 2000. The NNI involves the nanotechnology-related activities of 25 Federal agencies, 15 of which have specific budgets for nanotechnology R&D. The agencies involved allocate expenditures from their core budgets, demonstrating nanotechnology’s importance to their mission.

What is the NNI?

The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) is a multi-agency U.S. Government program that coordinates Federal efforts in nanotechnology.

The NSET Subcommittee

The NSET Subcommittee is the interagency body responsible for coordination of the National Nanotechnology Initiative.

Working Groups

The NSET Subcommittee created four Working Groups to enhance coordination and collaboration among NNI agencies.

National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO)

The NNCO provides staff support to the Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology (NSET) Subcommittee.

Contact Information

Names, titles, and contact information for NNCO staff.

Acronyms

A list of nanotechnology- and NNI-related acronyms.


 

Business Resources for Vets, Women, Minorities, and Disadvantaged Citizens

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The NNI is committed to helping disadvantaged and underserved populations. Visit our new web page that provides resources for various groups with a business interest in nanotechnology.
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Learn About Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology: Big Things from a Tiny World brochure coverNano and Energy brochure cover

The NNI has two brochures for the public that introduce concepts in nanotechnolgy. Big Things from a Tiny World (left) is a general overview; Powerful Things from a Tiny Wolrd (right) delves into nanotechnology and energy. Click on the images to see more.

Connect with Nano.gov

 

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Questions? Contact Marlowe Epstein-Newman,
Communications Director

Nanotechnology Fact

Nanoscale materials have been used for over a millenium. For example, nanoscale gold was used in stained glass in Medieval Europe and nanotubes were found in blades of swords made in Damascus. However, ten centuries passed before high-powered microscopes were invented, allowing us to see things at the nanoscale and begin working with materials at the nanoscale.

Nanotechnology as we now know it began about 30 years ago, when our tools to image and measure extended into the nanoscale. Around the turn of the millennium, government research managers in the United States and other countries observed that physicists, biologists, chemists, electrical engineers, optical engineers, and materials scientists were working on overlapping issues emerging at the nanoscale. In 2000, the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) was created to help these researchers benefit from each other’s insights and accelerate the technology’s development.

To learn more, see What is Nanotechnology?