The current volume offers an overview of planning, funding and evaluating nanotechnology initiatives and research centers. It is appropriate for initiative and research center directors, as well as scientists engaged in nanotechnology research.
The book includes:
ü Chapters on planning and launching initiatives.
ü Evaluation strategies for assessing the success of initiatives and nanotechnology research centers.
ü Benefits from an earlier study by the author of over 250 research centers, funded by the National Science Foundation.
ü Various metrics and evaluation measures for judging success.
ü Various evaluation designs appropriate for conducting case studies, efficiency, and outcome and cost-benefit evaluations.
ü What is needed to assess the initiatives in terms of both benefits and costs projected over various time periods.
ü The plethora of benefits, and converts outcomes to monetary values. It also considers the opportunity costs lost as well as positive benefits.
ü Estimates of the optimum size for initiatives or centers within various regions, universities and localities?
The volume employs aspects of the Governments GPRA outcome-based model. It views outcomes from the vantage point of regional and national stakeholders, as well as local, state and center administrators. It questions whether the NNI goals of reaching $3 trillion in benefits, and increasing the workforce by ten million new jobs are probable by 2010? While highly supportive of the initiative, it questions the claims and resources being expended. It strongly holds that the U.S. is in the forefront, and the suggestion that it is losing leadership, is more rhetoric than reality. It compares various regions in light of R and D, manufacturing and products being developed at various stages in development.
