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WYDEN NANOTECHNOLOGY BILL
SIGNED INTO LAW
Legislation will help “small science” to
revolutionize health care, manufacturing; Oregon could become
leader in burgeoning $1 trillion field
December 3, 2003
Washington, DC – Senator
Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) applauded the signature into law today of
the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act.
The legislation, co-written by Wyden and Senator George Allen
(R-Va.), will provide a nearly $3.7 billion boost to nanotechnology
research in the United States. Nanotechnology employs science
on the atomic and molecular scales and is expected to yield rapid
advances in numerous areas including health care, manufacturing,
and agriculture, and Oregon leaders are working to position the
state to take advantage of this new field. The president signed
the bill today in the Oval Office.
“Nanotechnology
holds the promise of new jobs, revolutionary products, and groundbreaking
treatments for some of our most deadly and debilitating diseases,” said
Wyden. “This new law is about preparing Oregon and the
United States to lead the way in this growing industry.”
In the next 10 years, nanotechnology
could become a trillion-dollar global industry. Nanotechnology
products are already on the mass market, most notably in the
form of stain-resistant clothing advertised by many manufacturers.
However, experts estimate that nanoparticles and nanodevices
will eventually have great impact on more serious levels, such
as the treatment of disease, the improvement and strengthening
of traditional materials such as steel, and the creation of smaller,
faster electronic devices.
At statewide economic
summits in December 2002 and earlier this week, Wyden committed
to making Oregon a national center for nanotechnology research
and development. He intends to work with Oregon universities
and economic development agencies and the rest of the Oregon
congressional delegation to establish Oregon as a leader in the
field.
Wyden and Senator Gordon Smith
(R-Ore.) have secured $1.2 million in the coming year’s
defense funding bill for Oregon State University’s Heat
Activated Pump Project, targeted as a huge priority for the initial
development of the Multi-Scale Materials and Devices Signature
Research Center.
Wyden and Smith also
have already secured $3 million for the Oregon Health Sciences
University (OHSU) National Defense and Security Research Center,
which may aid in the development of nano-sensors to be used in
domestic or military situations to detect and deactivate viral
or chemical agents of mass destruction.
Additionally, Wyden
and Smith are working to provide $1.6 million for the redevelopment
of the South Waterfront, which has the potential to become a
center for the nanotechnology industry.
The 21st Century Nanotechnology
Research and Development Act creates a National Nanotechnology
Research Program to support long-term nanoscale research and
development, increase America’s competitiveness in nanoscale
technology, and promote effective education and training for
the next generation of nanotechnology researchers and professionals.
Over the next four years, the bill authorizes $3.679 billion
for research and development programs at the National Science
Foundation, the Department of Energy, NASA, National Institute
of Standards and Technology, the Environmental Protection Agency
and the Department Agriculture, among others.
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