Fixing what ails society is generating multibillion-dollar investments in far-reaching arenas of research by the federal government and private sector. The goals are not totally altruistic, however, as agencies vie for new missions that will bolster budgets and prestige, and biotech companies push to turn expensive research into bottom-line profit. One key area of federal R&D investment now is in nanotechnology—the emerging field of molecular and atomic level research, from one to 100 nanometers. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. The National Nanotechnology Initiative, launched by former President Clinton in 2000 and signed into law last year by President Bush, will fund $3.7 billion in new research through fiscal 2008. "This makes nanotechnology a long-term scientific initiative," says Mark Jamison, advanced technology manager for HDR Inc., Omaha.
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