[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 190 (Tuesday, October 1, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60319-60320]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-23916]


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OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY

NATIONAL NANOTECHNOLOGY COORDINATION OFFICE


Request for Information: NNI Nanotechnology for Sensors and 
Sensors for Nanotechnology Signature Initiative

ACTION: Notice of request for information.

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SUMMARY: The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to 
enhance the value of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) and 
of the Nanotechnology Signature Initiative (NSI) entitled 
Nanotechnology for Sensors and Sensors for Nanotechnology in 
particular, by reaching out to the nanotechnology stakeholder community 
for input regarding specific needs for the accelerated development and 
commercialization of nanosensors. This RFI is intended to inform 
planning for a public workshop organized under the auspices of the 
sensors NSI.

DATES: Responses to this RFI will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. 
Eastern Time on November 15, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Responses to this RFI may be submitted electronically in the 
body of or as an attachment to an email sent to 
[email protected]. Questions and responses may also be sent 
by mail (please allow additional time for processing) to the address: 
National Nanotechnology Coordination Office, ATTN: NNI Sensors RFI, 
4201 Wilson Blvd., Stafford II, Suite 405, Arlington, VA 22230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any questions about the content of 
this RFI should be sent to [email protected]. Additional 
information regarding this RFI can be found at nano.gov or by calling 
(703) 292-8626.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Nanotechnology Coordination 
Office is interested in responses that address one or more of the 
following Questions below that are broadly categorized under Standards, 
Testing, Manufacturing, Commercialization, and Regulation. When 
submitting your response, please indicate the question(s) you are 
answering. Please be specific and concise.

Background Information

    The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) is a U.S. Government 
research and development (R&D) initiative of 20 Federal departments, 
independent agencies, and independent commissions (hereafter referred 
to as `agencies') working together toward the common challenging vision 
of a future in which the ability to understand and control matter at 
the nanoscale leads to a revolution in technology and industry that 
benefits society. The combined, coordinated efforts of these agencies 
have accelerated discovery, development, and deployment of 
nanotechnology towards agency missions and the broader national 
interest. Established in 2001, the NNI involves nanotechnology-related 
activities by the 20 member agencies.

[[Page 60320]]

    The NNI is managed within the framework of the National Science and 
Technology Council (NSTC), the Cabinet-level council by which the 
President coordinates science and technology across the Federal 
Government and interfaces with other sectors. The Nanoscale Science, 
Engineering, and Technology (NSET) Subcommittee of the NSTC coordinates 
planning, budgeting, program implementation, and review of the NNI. The 
NSET Subcommittee is composed of senior representatives from agencies 
participating in the NNI (http://www.nano.gov).
    The Federal agencies participating in the NNI have identified 
focused areas of national importance that may be more rapidly advanced 
through enhanced coordination and collaboration of agency research and 
development efforts. These Nanotechnology Signature Initiatives (NSIs) 
provide a spotlight on critical areas and define the shared vision of 
the participating agencies for accelerating the advancement of 
nanoscale science and technology to address needs and exploit 
opportunities from research through commercialization.
    The Nanotechnology Signature Initiative `Nanotechnology for Sensors 
and Sensors for Nanotechnology: Improving and Protecting Health, 
Safety, and the Environment' was launched in July of 2012 and includes 
activities from the following collaborating agencies: Consumer Product 
Safety Commission; Department of Agriculture (National Institute of 
Food and Agriculture); Department of Commerce (National Institute of 
Standards and Technology); Department of Defense (Defense Threat 
Reduction Agency); Department of Health and Human Services (Food and 
Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health, and National 
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health); Environmental Protection 
Agency; National Aeronautics and Space Administration; and National 
Science Foundation.
    The Sensors NSI addresses both the opportunity of using 
nanotechnology to advance sensor development and the challenges of 
developing sensors to keep pace with the increasingly widespread use of 
engineered nanomaterials. This signature initiative builds upon 
existing NNI member agency efforts to support research on nanomaterial 
properties and development of supporting technologies that enable next-
generation sensing of biological, chemical, and nanoscale materials. 
This interagency effort coordinates and stimulates creation of the 
knowledge, tools, and methods necessary to develop and test nanosensors 
and to track the fate of engineered nanomaterials in the body, consumer 
products, the workplace, and the environment. The Sensors NSI will 
accomplish these objectives by means of two major thrusts to:
    1. Develop and promote adoption of new technologies that employ 
nanoscale materials and features and the size-dependent properties of 
engineered nanomaterials to overcome technical barriers associated with 
conventional sensors, focusing on three goals:
     1.1. Support research on nanomaterials and nanoscale device 
components to enable the next generation of sensors, including tunable, 
label-free, and enzymatic sensors
     1.2. Support development of integrated and portable sensor 
devices, including information systems support for collection, 
analysis, and transfer of large amounts of sensor data
     1.3. Accelerate commercialization and expand the application base 
of existing nanosensor technologies
    2. Develop methods and devices to detect and identify engineered 
nanomaterials across their life-cycles in order to assess their 
potential impact on health, safety, and the environment, focusing on 
three goals:
     2.1. Identify and quantify unique magnetic, optical, and 
electronic signatures of nanomaterials in specific matrices with 
minimal sample preparation
     2.2. Identify ``surrogate'' indicators of nanomaterial presence
     2.3. Design and develop ``tags'' for nanomaterials that will 
enable their detection and measurement if released into the environment

Questions

    The National Nanotechnology Coordination Office seeks public 
comments in response to the following questions:

A. Standards

    A1. What existing standards have helped to improve or illustrate 
sensor performance in meeting desired specifications?
    A2. What existing standards have helped to improve the 
manufacturing of sensors (statistical process control)?
    A3. What standards need to be developed (for performance or 
manufacturing) to meet industry/consumer expectations for emerging 
sensor technologies?

B. Testing

    B1. How are you evaluating sensor performance?
    B2. What facilities for standardized testing (e.g., testbeds) have 
you used to develop nanosensors?
    B3. How did the testbed (formal or informal) help to improve sensor 
performance or manufacturability?
    B4. What additional testing facilities would aid the sensor 
development community?
    B5. What capabilities would be highest priority if new sensor 
testing facilities were to be developed?
    B6. What sample types have you utilized to develop convincing 
demonstrations of sensor performance (e.g., real clinical samples, 
environmental samples/sites) and how were these samples obtained?

C. Manufacturing

    C1. What are the largest technical challenges in scale up and 
manufacturing facing sensor development (e.g., integration, 
reliability)?
    C2. What are the new tools for integration/engineering (e.g., Wi-
Fi, programmable logic, signal processing software, etc.) that will 
have the greatest impact on sensor commercialization?
    C3. What, if any, unique workforce issues might be expected for 
sensor manufacturing (e.g., cross-trained integrators/engineers, etc.)?

D. Commercialization

    D1. What are the commercial applications where nanosensors will 
likely have the most immediate impact?
    D2. What are the primary contributing factors to the existence of a 
``valley of death'' for sensor development and commercialization (e.g., 
reliability, potential market size, investment capital, etc.)?

E. Regulation

    E1. How can regulatory requirements be best shared with the sensors 
community?
    Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by 
the Government to form a binding contract or issue a grant. Information 
obtained as a result of this RFI may be used by the government for 
program planning on a non-attribution basis. Please do not include any 
information that might be considered proprietary, confidential, or 
personally identifying (such as home address or social security 
number).

Ted Wackler,
Deputy Chief of Staff and Assistant Director.
[FR Doc. 2013-23916 Filed 9-30-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-F3-P