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
TECHNOLOGY: Science Panel Probes Renewable Energy's Current Use of China's Rare Metals -- Environment & Energy Daily (2/8/2010)A United States House of Representatives Science and Technology subcommittee this week will hold a hearing on rare earth mineral production and the resource's role in the growing clean energy industry. [More]
UN Patent Filings Dropped for 1st Time Since 1978 -- ABC news (2/8/2010)The United Nations World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), an entity through which a company can, for a fee, file a request for patent protection in any or all of the 142 countries that have subscribed to the U.N.'s Patent Cooperation Treaty, reported that the number of international patent filings dropped last year for the first time since 1978. [More]
Understanding Public Debate on Nanotechnologies: Options for Framing Public Policy -- The Innovation Society (2/8/2010)The Governance and Ethics Unit of the Directorate General for Research (DG Research) of the European Commission (EC) has published an overview paper on options for framing public policy on nanotechnologies. [More]
Super Material Will Make Lighting Cheaper and Fully Recyclable -- Expertsvar (2/5/2010)Researchers from Sweden and the United States have successfully used the super material graphene to produce a new type of lighting component that is inexpensive to produce and can be fully recycled. [More]
Toxicology of the Tiny -- Miller-McCune (2/5/2010)This article delves into the world of nanotoxicology, looking at the issues, the research, and the implications, in layperson terms. [More]
Nanofood for Thought -- Nature Nanotechnology (2/5/2010)This editorial, in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, is in response to the recent report, "Nanotechnologies and Food", released in January by the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee, United Kingdom, that criticized the food industry for failing to be transparent about its research into the uses of nanotechnologies and nanomaterials. [More]
Nanotechnology in Fertilizers -- Nature Nanotechnology (2/4/2010)This letter to the editor, in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, by researchers at Carleton University and Agriculture and AgriFood Canada, both in Canada, suggests that nanotechnology may be needed to help improve the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of crops. [More]
Russia Plans to Promote Technology Innovations -- The New York Times (2/4/2010)Russia will order ministries and state companies to use more of their procurement budgets to buy products that qualify as "innovative" and that are made in Russia, in an effort to help the country catch up with the West in technology. [More]
Spray-On Miracle Could Revolutionise Manufacturing -- The Independent (2/4/2010)A new spray is being touted as one of the most important, environmentally friendly products to emerge from the field of nanotechnology. [More]