About the Foresight Nanotech Institute
Mission
Foresight Nanotech Institute’s mission is to ensure the beneficial implementation of nanotechnology.
Foresight Activities
Founded in 1986, we were the first organization to educate society about the benefits and risks of nanotechnology. At that time our focus was on preparing society for nanotechnology, then a little known science and technology.
Today, with the basic framework of public understanding in place, we are focusing on advancing beneficial nanotechnology. Our efforts are turned to guiding nanotechnology research, public policy and education to address six major challenges that humanity faces.
The six Foresight Nanotechnology Challenges are the framework for our work. This work is accomplished by providing balanced, accurate and timely information to help society understand and prepare for nanotechnology through public policy activities, publications, guidelines, networking events, tutorials, conferences, roadmaps, and prizes.
We work closely with governments, multi-national organizations, NGOs (non-governmental organizations), environmental groups, the policy community, professional associations, and civic sector organizations to achieve our goal of broad based nanotechnology education and public policy improvement.
Public Policy
Foresight Institute focuses its public policy activities on maximizing the benefits and minimizing the downsides of nanotechnology. Our highest priority is identifying and promoting policies that can assist with the Foresight Nanotech Challenges.
Addressing these challenges involves many policy areas: from setting an appropriate level of safety research funding, to exploring how to increase access to nanotechnologies; from helping promote specific technical breakthroughs, to reviewing how publicly funded nanotech patents can be better administered for greatest societal benefit.
As the largest civil society organization focused specifically on nanotechnology issues, Foresight Institute uses a variety of processes to develop and deliver policy education and recommendations. These include commissioning policy studies, speaking on policy topics for diverse audiences, testifying for government committees, briefing the press on policy matters, conducting surveys, and discussing policy issues in open online public discussions.
Individuals and organizations are invited to participate in Foresight policy activities. We encourage your suggestions for policy study topics, critiques of our positions on the issues, and comments on our weblog.
We are particularly interested in cooperating with other organizations in policy studies on how nanotechnologies will affect their areas of concern, from medicine, to the environment, the developing world, and other areas that will experience a strong impact from nanotech. Individuals are invited to join as Foresight members, and corporations can participate through corporate membership, conference sponsorship, or underwriting policy studies of mutual interest. Foundations and other organizations with an interest in our work should speak with Christine Peterson, Foresight's VP, Public Policy.
Foresight Nanotech Institute Public Policy
Foresight policy white papers
Partners and Sponsors
Foresight works with a wide variety of organizations as partners, sponsors and corporate members. Through Foresight, these organizations reach our members and those visiting our Web site with their message, receive their choice of Foresight publications and information feeds, take advantage of discounts on many goods and services, are invited to special gatherings and events and and receive valuable introductory gifts. For more information on becoming a corporate member, click here. Click below to see our past or current partners, sponsors and corporate members.
Contact Information
Foresight Nanotech Institute
1455 Adams Drive, Suite 2160
Menlo Park, CA 94025 USA
Voice: 650.289.0860
Fax: 650.289.0863
Send requests for information about Foresight Institute
activities and membership to foresight@foresight.org.
Send comments and questions about material on this web site and
reports of errors to webmaster@foresight.org.
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