NNI Supplement to the President's 2014 Budget

The President’s 2014 Budget provides over $1.7 billion for the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), a sustained investment in support of the President’s priorities and innovation strategy. Cumulatively totaling almost $20 billion since the inception of the NNI in 2001 (including the 2014 request), this support reflects nanotechnology’s potential to significantly improve our fundamental understanding and control of matter at the nanoscale and to translate that knowledge into solutions to critical national issues. NNI research efforts are guided by two strategic documents developed by the Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology (NSET) Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), the 2011 NNI Strategic Plan and the 2011 NNI Environmental, Health, and Safety Research Strategy. These strategic documents guide how NNI agencies address the full range of nanotechnology research and development, technology transfer and product commercialization, infrastructure and education, as well as the societal issues that accompany an emerging technology. The investments in 2012 and 2013 and those proposed for 2014 continue the emphasis on accelerating the transition from basic R&D to innovations that support national priorities.

This document provides supplemental information to the President’s 2014 Budget and serves as the Annual Report on the NNI called for in the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (P.L. 108-153, 15 USC §7501). The report also addresses the requirement for Department of Defense reporting on its nanotechnology investments, per 10 USC §2358 (see Appendix A). In particular, the report summarizes NNI programmatic activities for 2012 and 2013, as well as those currently planned for 2014.

NNI budgets for 2012–2014 are presented by agency and PCA in Chapter 2 of this report. Information on the use of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) program funds to support nanotechnology research and commercialization activities, also called for in P.L. 108-153, is included at the end of Chapter 2. Activities that have been undertaken and progress that has been made toward achieving the four goals set out in the NNI Strategic Plan, activities in support of the NNI Nanotechnology Signature Initiatives (NSIs), changes in the balance of investments by PCA, and highlights from external reviews of the NNI and how their recommendations are being addressed, are presented in Chapters 3–6.