The Nanotechnology Initiative was the subject of the discussion at the
Foresight Nanoschmooze a couple of weeks ago. Many of the issues posted on
this list came up at the time (why review boards are clueless, etc.). Much
complaining was going on about projects being funded that have little of
nothing to do with MNT.
I advocated that it was better to get going and flood the NSF with applications
for actual MNT projects, than to sit around "counting other people's money."
Even if only a small number of such projects get funded, the fact is that all
applications will have to be examined, and in the process, some amount of
education will happen in a place that sadly needs it. This is something each
of us can do, although it might not seem that it is going to make much of an
impact. If enough people put intelligent proposals in front of the eyes of the
reviewers, it will change the background level, even if they do not consciously
notice it.
-Ken
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