Nunn School PhD student Ms. Taylor Smith participated in the 2013 Nanotechnology for Defense Conference (NT4D) held 4-7 November in Tucson, AZ. Smith attended as part her study of the implications of advancements in nanotechnology and nanoscience for national and international security. 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.

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.