NIOSH Launches Nano Health & Safety Consortium with SUNY Poly CNSE
The collaboration will address research for occupational safety and health in the nanotechnology industry
NIOSH and SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (SUNY Poly CNSE) have announced the launch of the Nano Health & Safety Consortium, an initiative that brings together government, academia, and industry leaders to advance research and guidance for occupational safety and health in nanotechnology-related industries.
According to a press release, this represents an expansion of the existing partnership and memorandum of understanding between the two parties to advance responsible development of nanotechnology. It will serve as a platform for the new consortium that will be anchored at the SUNY Poly CNSE Nanotech Megaplex in Albany, New York.
“Ensuring the safety of workers in the burgeoning nanotechnology industry is a top priority for NIOSH,” said NIOSH Director John Howard, MD. “By joining with SUNY Poly in this effort, we’re building on an already successful partnership that allows us to align research efforts, expertise, and resources through the existing infrastructure of the world class SUNY Poly network to enhance our understanding of and manage potential health and safety risks to nanotechnology workers.”
In addition to advancing worker health and safety research, the consortium will provide training and education for students, faculty, researchers, and private sector members of the network, while taking advantage of the diverse research, manufacturing, and public-private partnership opportunities that exist across New York.
“SUNY Poly CNSE is a global resource for nanotechnology R&D,” said SUNY Poly CNSE Assistant Vice President for NanoHealth Initiatives and Assistant Professor of Nanobioscience Sara Brenner, MD, MPH. “The collaborative work to be done by SUNY Poly, NIOSH, and the consortium will facilitate and accelerate commercialization, help strengthen and protect our workforce, and clear the path for innovation and enable the continued advancement of the field of nanotechnology.”