DHS, CDC, Private Sector Pandemic Influenza Planning
Open Source Models of Collaborative Innovation in the Life Sciences
2004 Bellagio Meeting on Plant Genetic Resources in East and Central Africa
Everglades Adaptive Management Strategy
Joint Ocean Commission Initiative
Public Intellectual Property Resource for Agriculture [PIPRA]
Yale Climate Change Conference
International Workshop on Nanotechnology, Commodities, and Development
Quick Reference Guide to Meridian Institute and Our Nanotechnology Experience
Nanotechnology and Development News Information Flyer
Global Dialogue on Nanotechnology and the Poor: Opportunities and Risks
Meridian Institute, with support from The Rockefeller Foundation, International Development Research Centre, and UK Department for International Development, has convened the Global Dialogue on Nanotechnology and the Poor: Opportunities and Risks (GNDP). Goals of the GDNP include: raising awareness about the implications of nanotechnology for the poor; closing the gaps within and between sectors of society to catalyze actions that address specific opportunities and risks; and, identifying ways that science and technology can play an appropriate role in the development process. [More]
International Dialogue on Responsible Research and Development of Nanotechnology
Meridian Institute facilitated the 2004 (USA) and 2006 (Japan) meetings of the International Dialogue on Responsible Research and Development. These meetings, each involving representatives from more than 25 countries and the European Union, focused on how to best ensure nanotechnology research and development programs are carried out in a responsible manner. Summaries of the meetings are available. The 2004 meeting summary includes the results of a questionnaire submitted by participants that describe the goals and status of more than 20 national nanotechnology initiatives. [More]
Dialogue Series on Nanotechnology and Federal Regulation
As nanotechnology moves from the research lab into commercial production and markets, potential regulatory issues may emerge, ranging from worker protection to environmental exposure and risks. To address these issues, Meridian Institute and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (WWICS) co-convened a series of three dialogue sessions focused on the relationship between nanotechnology and federal regulation in the United States. [More]
International Council on Nanotechnology Inaugural Meeting
Meridian Institute facilitated the first meeting of the International Council on Nanotechnology (ICON) at Rice University in Houston, Texas. ICON’s mission is to assess, communicate, and reduce the environmental and health risks of nanotechnology. It is a multi-stakeholder group dedicated to research, policy, and communication regarding nanotechnology’s impacts on human health and the environment. [More]
US EPA Interim Ad Hoc Work Group on Nanoscale Materials
Meridian staff facilitated an Interim Ad Hoc Work Group on Nanoscale Materials, which was convened by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).The Work Group discussed potential elements for a voluntary program regarding engineered nanoscale materials, began consideration of regulatory actions US EPA could undertake, and identified issues that needed further consideration. The Work Group submitted it for EPA's consideration in November 2005. [More]
IRGC Workshop on Risk Governance for Nanotechnology
On January 30-31, 2006 Meridian Institute assisted the International Risk Governance Council (IRGC) with the design of workshop objectives and agenda and served as facilitator for a Workshop on Risk Governance for Nanotechnology at the SwissRe Global Dialogue Centre in Zurich, Switzerland. The workshop was attended by 30 thought leaders with diverse perspectives from different parts of the world and organizational settings. [More]
Pew Charitable Trusts and Woodrow Wilson Center Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies NanoFrontiers Workshop
The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies is a partnership between the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Pew Charitable Trusts, dedicated to helping ensure that as nanotechnologies advance, possible risks are minimized, public and consumer engagement remains strong, and the potential benefits of these new technologies are realized [More]
Rockefeller Foundation Meetings on Nanotechnology
Meridian Institute organized and facilitated two meetings at the request of The Rockefeller Foundation. These were small informational meetings about nanotechnology for the senior leadership of the Foundation, including former President Gordon Conway and the Directors of the Global Inclusion, Food Security, and Health Equity Programs. [More]
Presentations & Conferences
To contribute to the goals of our nanotechnology projects, Meridian Institute has participated in and presented at the following events:
The Rockefeller Foundation, Senior Leadership Meetings (October 2003, USA)
SwissRe, Conference on Nanotechnology (January 2005, Switzerland)
ICS-UNIDO, North-South Dialogue on Nanotechnology (February 2005, Italy)
Foresight Institute, 13th Annual Conference (October 2005, USA)
Canadian Federal Nanotechnology Network (October 2005, Canada)
International Risk Governance Council, Nanotechnology Project Meeting (July 2006, Switzerland)
Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, GreenNano Series (various events in 2005 and 2006, USA)
Information & Resources
Meridian Institute offers the following resources to help people make informed decisions:
Nanotechnology and Development News
Paper on Nanotechnology, Water, and Development
Nanotechnology and Development News Water Compilation
Online Consultation for the Global Dialogue on Nanotechnology and the Poor: Opportunities and Risks
President's Science Advisers Approve Report Calling for Collaboration on Nanotechnology -- The Bureau of National Affairs' Daily Environment Report (3/15/2010)The United States President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) last week approved a report that will "... encourage federal agencies to increase their collaboration on environmental, health, and safety questions arising from various applications of nanotechnologies." The Council, which meets only once every two years, reviews the federal National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI). [More]
Outcry over Scientists' Dismissal -- Nature (3/15/2010)The article details the controversy surrounding the expulsion, from their institute, of two high-profile nanotechnology researchers in Mexico. [More]
Nanotechnology – a Revolutionary Water Treatment Solution -- South African Water Research Commission (3/15/2010)Nanotechnology may be the key to providing clean water in the most remote rural and semi-urban human settings, according to an article by Dr. Jo Burgess of the South African Water Research Commission (WRC), an organization that provides strategic direction and leadership on water resource issues in South Africa. [More]
In the World: Nanotech on the Farm -- MIT News (3/12/2010)The article discusses a project organized by Meridian Institute, and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to help smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa improve agricultural efficiency. [More]
Sunscreens Could Damage Your Health, Researcher Warns -- Sydney Morning Herald (3/12/2010)Dr. Amanda Barnard, a scientist at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia, has published research in the online journal Nature Nanotechnology (http://www.nature.com/nnano/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nnano.2010.25.html) that says the nanoparticles used to make some sunscreens transparent may also be toxic. [More]
Acute Pulmonary Response of Mice to Multi-Wall Carbon Nanotubes -- Inhalation Toxicology (3/12/2010)Researchers at the University of Kentucky, United States, have published their findings from a study to determine the pulmonary response of mice to multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), in the March 2010 issue of the journal Inhalation Toxicology. [More]
Soybean Industry Sets Policy Direction -- Biodiesel Magazine (3/11/2010)The American Soybean Association (ASA) met last week to review and revise the policy direction of the organization. [More]
Designer Nano Luggage to Carry Drugs to Diseased Cells -- John Innes Centre (3/11/2010)Scientists at the John Innes Center, United Kingdom, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the John Innes Foundation, have succeeded, for the first time, in growing empty particles derived from a plant virus, and have made them carry useful chemicals. [More]
China to Set up Disciplines of Strategic Importance in Colleges -- CRIENGLISH.com (3/11/2010)China has announced a plan to nurture more talent for the emerging industries it considers to be of strategic importance by creating new disciplines in undergraduate schools. [More]