Educating Graduate Students for the Responsible Conduct of Research [Nano Safety and Education]

In the march 2012 issue of IEEE Nanotechnology Magazine, the “Nano Safety and Education”column editor highlighted the need for safety conscious nanotechnology education by stating “along with the building of the nanotechnology workforce, there is a greater need to focus on the safety of the worker”. This column responds to that call with the research results on the education of graduate students in science and engineering who are currently conducting nanotechnology research projects. The education of these students for the responsible conduct of research (RCR) was designed with the perspective that considering the broader, societal context of innovation via scientific and engineering research is an important aspect of RCR. This perspective was motivated by recent reports that indicate declining public interest in scientific advances and an increasing tendency among the public to mistrust those managing the application of discoveries. These current developments are particularly pressing in areas such as biotechnology that focuses on the manipulation of genetic material and nanotechnology that works on the nanometer scale (10^-9 m) to create new materials and tools. For example, genetically manipulated products and the lack of labeling genetically modified foods has created palpable tension between scientists and the public and resulted in concern and even protest against using scientific innovations.