National and international policy experts will converge at the University of Massachusetts Amherst on Friday, September 24, 2010, for the third annual Nanotechnology and Society Workshop, “Nanotechnology & Society: Emerging Organizations, Oversight, and Public Policy Systems.” The workshop will be convened by the Science, Technology and Society (STS) Initiative, part of the Center for Public Policy and Administration at UMass, in collaboration with the Center for Hierarchical Manufacturing.
“After more than a decade of research on and commercialization of nanotechnology and nanoscience, policies governing emerging technologies remain in their infancy,” notes Jane Fountain, UMass professor of political science and public policy and STS director. “UMass Amherst is a long-time leader in nanotechnology research, and this day-long workshop brings together top voices in the field to discuss the regulation and oversight of nanoscience.”
Workshop participants will examine frameworks for policymaking amid high uncertainty, including the role of national, international, and non-governmental organizations and actors, and will discuss the challenges involved in balancing effective public governance, rapid innovation, and intensifying global competition.
The workshop will feature presentations from top leaders at US federal agencies including the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH); the MA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs; DuPont; Resources for the Future; and the Loka Institute, as well as some of the nation’s foremost academic researchers engaged in research on nanotechnology policy.
The workshop on September 24 will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Amherst Room, located on the 10th floor of the UMass Campus Center. It is open to the public, but advanced registration is required. Visit www.umass.edu/sts/nanoworkshop for more information and to register. The workshop is funded by the National Science Foundation through the Center for Hierarchical Manufacturing.