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‘You caught me off guard’: Probing the futures of complex engineered nanomaterials

Journal of Nanoparticle Research volume 18, Article number: 208 (2016) Cite this article

Abstract

This paper applies principles and methods from the framework of anticipatory governance to the case of what the National Research Council calls “complex engineered nanomaterials” (CENM). This framework does not aim to generate crystal ball visions or definitive answers, but rather provides guidance for uncovering, understanding, and addressing social, ethical, environmental, and policy issues that stem from emerging technologies. Thus, in anticipation of increased CENM research, CENM products, and their different governance challenges, we aim to lay the groundwork for the anticipatory governance of CENMs by mapping out what—according to the engineers and scientists, we interviewed who are working at the research level of these CENMs—will be the main issues and themes that we need to pay attention to in the near future. The structured interviews focused on three groups of questions: (1) potential and/or actual applications and/or products from the participant’s research; (2) environmental health and safety issues pertaining to both the participant’s research and CENMs generally; and (3) the future of CENMs. Without a foundational understanding to build on, social scientists, policymakers, and regulatory agencies will be at a loss about how to govern CENMs before they are widely implemented in society.

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Acknowledgments

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1235693. We would like to thank Nolan Bidese who provided research support. The other authors in this special issue provided useful resources and comments. We thank the American Chemical Society for hosting a workshop on nanotechnology governance where we presented an earlier version of this paper. We appreciate the workshop participants for engaging in thoughtful discussion. Additionally, two anonymous reviewers provided constructive comments that strengthened our paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Arizona State University, Tempe, USA

    Jathan Sadowski & David H. Guston

Authors
  1. Jathan Sadowski
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  2. David H. Guston
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Correspondence to Jathan Sadowski.

Additional information

Guest Editors: Kathleen Eggleson, David H. Guston

This article is part of the Special Focus on Anticipatory Governance of Next Generation Nanotechnology

Appendix: Questions for CENM interviews

Appendix: Questions for CENM interviews

First, I have a few general questions about your research.

  1. 1.

    Would you please explain in lay terms the research that you do in nanotechnology? (Perhaps in a way that a high school student would understand?)

  2. 2.

    What makes this particular area of research interesting to you?

  3. 3.

    The literature on foresight and nanotechnological development refers to four generations of nanomaterials: (1) passive nanostructures; (2) active nanostructures; (3) nanosystems; and (4) systems of nanosystems. The literature also refers to “complex engineered nano-materials” that are different from simple, passive nanomaterials. Our research is most interested in the active or complex materials and systems. Is there a definition or term that you prefer for your own research?

Now I have some questions about potential applications or products of your research.

  1. 4.

    Do you anticipate any product or application from your research? If so, could you describe that vision, if it might come to fruition?

    1. a.

      Do you have any plans for development or commercialization beyond the research you have been conducting?

    2. b.

      If so, what kind of pathways do you imagine, for example, licensing your material to an existing firm or spinning off a new firm yourself?

The next questions deal with environmental health and safety issues.

  1. 5.

    Could you please describe any laboratory environmental health and safety issues arising from the nanomaterials you work with?

  2. 6.

    Would you anticipate any environmental health and safety issues arising from these nanomaterials in commerce (or through the applications that imagined)?

  3. 7.

    Do you anticipate any EHS issues arising from [your CENM term here] in general?

  4. 8.

    What groups or populations or types of individual people may have access to your nanomaterial? Will they be the ones exposed to any risks?

  5. 9.

    Do you see any differences between simple, passive nanomaterials and [your CENM term here] with respect to environmental health and safety?

  6. 10.

    Do you anticipate any regulation, reporting requirements, or other policies directed at [your CENM term here]? Do you think there should be any?

Now I have a few final questions about the future.

  1. 11.

    How do you think your work with [your CENM term here] will progress in the next 10 years?

  2. 12.

    In general, what is your vision for complex engineered nanomaterials over the next 10 years?

  3. 13.

    What milestones and roadblocks do you expect between now and the achievement of that 10-year vision?

  4. 14.

    Is there anything about complex engineered nanomaterials that keeps you up at night?

  5. 15.

    If you could pose any three questions about the future of nanotechnology to a clairvoyant, what would they be?

  6. 16.

    Is there anything you had like to add?

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Sadowski, J., Guston, D.H. ‘You caught me off guard’: Probing the futures of complex engineered nanomaterials. J Nanopart Res 18, 208 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-016-3485-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-016-3485-z

Keywords

  • Complex engineered nanomaterials
  • Technology assessment
  • Science policy
  • Anticipatory governance
  • Environmental health and safety
  • Future