Program-level assessment of research centers: Contribution of Nanoscale Science and Engineering Centers to US Nanotechnology National Initiative goals

The Nanoscale Science and Engineering Centers (NSECs) operate in the context of a National Science Foundation (NSF) program that represents one of the key instruments of nanotechnology policy in the USA. In this article, we report on a study aimed at understanding the mechanisms by which this collection of centers contributes to the realization of the goals of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI). The study is focused on the program...