AUDIT OF PUBLICLY FUNDED AUSTRALIAN RESEARCH

INTO THE HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIAL IMPACTS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY

The purpose of this short survey is to provide input into an audit of publicly funded Australian research into the health, environment and social impacts of nanotechnology. This audit has been requested by the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council (PMSEIC). Please include any current research or research undertaken since January 2003.

If your research group does not undertake any research into health, environmental or social impacts of nanotechnology, you need not proceed beyond question two. Furthermore, if your group does undertake such research and it has been funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) or the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), there is no need to complete the survey beyond question three, as it will be audited separately.

The survey is quite short and should only take around 10 minutes to complete for each project/programme. An electronic version is available on request – please email or phone 02 6240 9927 and a copy will be forwarded to you. On the electronic version, select a box, double-click on the box and select the “default value – checked” option, then click “OK”.

Thank you for your assistance. Please mail your completed return to:

Stephen Utick
Assistant Director
Science Strategy Section
Location 330
GPO Box 9880
CANBERRA ACT 2601

OR fax it to 02 6123 6027 OR email it to

By COB Friday 7 April 2006. Thank you for your cooperation.

1. What is the name of your research group (please include full title)?
2. Does your group undertake research into the health, environmental or social impacts of nanotechnology? / YES – if yes, please proceed
NO – if no, please return survey form
3. Is the research into impacts of nanotechnology funded by the ARC or NHMRC? / YES – if yes, please return survey form
NO – if no, please proceed
4. What is your group’s main field of research?
Please select one or more as appropriate / Basic Research Nanoscience
Nanomaterials
Nanobiotechnology
Quantum-based nanotechnology
Nano-electronics/photonics
Clinical medicine
Occupational health and safety
Other health
Economics or other social science
Ethics
Other (please specify)
______
5. Is your research primarily focused on nanotechnology or in using nanotechnology for other research purposes? / Yes, primarily focused on nanotechnology
No, using nanotechnology for other research purposes
6. What is your group’s primary research focus? Select the most appropriate box or boxes.
Examples of health impacts could include toxicity, occupational health and safety, compatibility of biomaterials with human tissue etc. Examples of environmental impacts could include toxicity, waste disposal etc. / Primarily focused on human health impacts
Health product or process, in which health impacts are considered
Primarily focused on environmental impacts
Environmental product and process, in which environmental impacts are considered
Economic, social or ethical impacts of nanotechnology
Regulatory processes
Other (please specify)
______
7. In what type of organisation does your research group conduct its research? / University
Cooperative Research Centre
CSIRO
Other Government Laboratory
Hospital Research
Industry
Private non-profit or other
8. What is the title of the project/programme involving the impacts of nanotechnology?
9. Provide a brief summary of this project/programme (no more than about 50 words). If any key publications, please list.
10. Who is/are the research leader/s?
11. How many researchers are involved?
12. What is the duration of the project/programme in years?
13. What is the cost of project/programme over its full duration (if available)? / $