This summer I worked at the Government Accountability Office, primarily on a report on nanotechnology and nanomanufacturing. The report was requested by the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology in order that both Congress and the public may become familiar with the state of nanomanufacturing in the United States. Much of the information to be included in the report, which is scheduled to be released this winter, was gleaned at a Comptroller General Forum at the GAO headquarters in DC. Nanotechnology experts from industry, academia, and government convened for 2 days to share their knowledge of the many fields affected by nanotechnology.

I was involved in the writing of background materials supplied to the experts during the weeks preceding the CG Forum. I also researched and wrote a scientific background summary of how nanotechnology is affecting the design of hard disk drive read heads, LEDs, and photovoltaic cells. Finally, I contributed to an appendix of the final report that outlines how a university-company partnership has created an atmosphere that promotes both the innovation and the manufacturing of nano-enabled products.