Smith presented research highlighting the results of a study on implications of advancements in Russia’s nanotechnology and nanoscience programs for national and international security. Focusing primarily on the Russia’s nanotechnology investment portfolio and possible future applications of basic research in the country, the work provides insight into the current state of affairs in the country. Working with Nunn School Assistant Professor Margaret E. Kosal, Smith is exploring nanotechnology innovation in Russia and the United States. The conference provided a unique lens into the United States’ current and future applications of nanotechnology for and by the military.

The Nanotechnology for Defense Conference is the premier annual event bringing together scientists and engineers from defense service laboratories, universities, small business, and industry who are working on applications of nanotechnology for defense capabilities. Distinguished presenters included Dr. Lloyd Whitman, Assistant Director of Nanotechnology in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; Dr. Mihail C. Roco, Chair of the US National Science and Technology Council subcommittee on Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology (NSET); and Dr. Alicia Jackson, Deputy Direct of DARPA’s Biological Technologies Office (BTO).

Initiated a decade ago by the Air Force Research Laboratory, Army Research Laboratory, the Office of Naval Research, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency(DTRA), and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the NT4D remains the premier event addressing emerging and nanotechnologies for defense. The conference is jointly sponsored by the Department of Defense Laboratories (the Army Research Laboratory, the Navy Research Laboratory, and the Air Laboratory), the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.