Project Overview

1. CN 10-420 CNS-UCSB Partners with Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas to Study U.S.-Mexico Nanotechnology Research Collaborations • Project Overview • This project seeks to uncover and explain nanotechnology collaboration projects between Mexico and the U.S through an analysis of: • Funded nanotech projects featuring collaboration. • Work done to improve collaborative ties between countries in the nanotech industry. • Collaboration between individual research centers. • Main Findings • The majority of the Mexican projects have only short-term funding or collaboration contracts with American counterparts. • Most collaboration is between Mexico and projects located in border states • Grant projects are often geared toward US interests, not Mexican interests because they are often administered by American counterparts. • Methods • Scouring Mexican nanotech research center websites for funded collaboration projects with nanotech institutions in the U.S. • Surveying the policy work done by the Fundación México-EstadosUnidospara la Ciencia (FUMEC), to improve U.S.-Mexican scientific collaboration. • Surveying all international collaborations administered by Mexico’s ConsejoNacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (Science and Technology National Council, CONACYT) Conclusion There are few opportunities for bilateral collaboration between countries in the broad nanotech area – and those that do exist tend to involve seed funding. Project Leaders Rich Appelbaum UCSB McArthur Chair and Professor Global & International Studies and Sociology Guillermo Foladori UAZ Professor, Development Studies Research funded through an award from the UC Mexus-Conacyt and the U.S. National Science Foundation Future Research How will collaboration projects continue to develop over time? Will they shift closer to Mexican approaches? What will be the eventual results in terms of research, products, and business development?