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 26 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.


Visit the NNI's Interactive Nanotechnology Resource Map

Nano Map Graphic

This tool allows you to search the U.S. state by state to locate nanotechnology-related facilities, schools, and programs across the country.

Connect with Nano.gov

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Questions?
Contact Marlowe Newman,
Communications Director

Nanotechnology Fact

These are different types of nanomaterials, named for their individual shapes and dimensions. Think of these simply as objects with one or more dimension at the nanoscale.

Nanoparticles are bits of a material in which all three dimensions of the object are within the nanoscale. Nanotubes have a diameter in the nanoscale, but can be several hundred nanometers long—or even longer. Nanoplates have a thickness at the nanoscale, but their other two dimensions can be quite large.