The Society for the Study of Nanoscience and Emerging Technologies is poised to become an international organization to promote open intellectual exchange towards the advancement of knowledge and understanding of nanotechnologies in society. S.NET represents diverse communities, viewpoints, and methodologies in the social sciences and humanities. It welcomes contributions from scientists and engineers that advance the critical reflection of nanotechnologies and related developments.
The Draft Mission Statement for the society was created at a May 2008 organizational meeting at the University of South Carolina:
The Society for the Study of Nanocience and Emerging Technologies (S.NET) is an international organization to promote open intellectual exchange towards the advancement of knowledge and understanding of nanotechnology in society, including its connections with social and other technological developments. S.NET seeks participation from those working within a diversity of communities, viewpoints, and methodologies, and aspires for its intellectual conversation to be informed by this diversity. S.NET seeks interaction with stakeholders and intermediaries, as those interactions contribute to its core mission. The Society pursues its mission primarily through the organization of a regular meeting, and aims for these meetings to reflect its diversity and international membership. Concerns were expressed about there being no mention of ethics or normative concerns; these might be added in the second paragraph or in a new paragraph.
