past event

Center on Nanotechnology and Society
1st Annual Nanopolicy Conference
Nanoworld: Toward a Policy for the Human Future

John F. Sargent

John F. Sargent is a Senior Policy Analyst in the Office of Technology Poilcy at the U.S> Department of Commerce, where he conducts policy analyses and provides counsel to the Under Secretary for Technology and Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy on issues affecting technology's contribution to U.S. economic growth, competitiveness, and job creation. His primary areas of research and analysis include the development and commercialization of emerging technologies, the U.S. science and engineering workforce, and the impact of workforce globalization on U.S. competitiveness and job creation.

In this capacity, Sargent represents the Commerce Department in a variety of high-level interagency fora, including the White House National Science and Technology Council's Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology (NSET) Subcommittee and the Subcommittee on Education and Workforce Development (SEW).

Sargent is currently producing an analysis on the impact of workforce globalization on the U.S. information technology sector as part of a Congressionally-mandated report. Most recently, Sargent co-authored Education and Training for the Information Technology Workforce: A Report to Congress from the Secretary of Commerce, covering U.S. high technology education and training programs, building on the agency's analytical work on science and engineering workforce issues broadly, and the information technology workforce challenge specifically. He has also co-authored several publications in this field, including The Digital Workforce: Building Infotech Skills at the Speed of Innovation, which is available on websites in more than 40 countries.

He serves as the director of the government secretariat for the U.S. Alliance for Technology and Engineering for Automotive Manufacturing (US A-TEAM), a research and policy partnership between the U.S. Department of Commerce and the United States Council for Automotive Research directed at improving the competitiveness of the U.S. automotive industry. From 1999-2000, Sargent directed the Federal government's participation in the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles, a $1 billion public-private collaborative research effort to develop technologies for clean, fuel efficient vehicles, including fuel cells, advanced lightweight materials, hybrid electric drive systems, advanced batteries, 4SDI engines, and emissions control. During this period, the partnership achieved its second milestone-concept vehicles capable of achieving three times the fuel efficiency of 1994 models-and held a Washington, D.C., unveiling ceremony with the Vice President of the United States. This successful partnership included seven Federal agencies, 20 national laboratories, U.S. automakers, and hundreds of suppliers and universities.

In addition, Sargent has co-authored a variety of other publications, including: Survey of the U.S. of Biotechnology in U.S. Industry; Technology in the National Interest, an Executive Office of the President document, articulating the framework, rationale and historic foundations of U.S. technology policy; Federal Investment in Science and Technology, analyzing current trends in the R&D investments of the Federal government, U.S. industry and other nations; The Global Context for U.S. Technology Policy; International Policy, Plans and Investments in Science and Technology; and Effective Partnering: A Report to Congress on Federal Technology Partnerships.

During a three-month leave of absence from the Commerce Department in fall of 2000, Sargent worked with former Commerce Under Secretary Mary Good, and senior technology and government affairs representatives of industry, universities, professional societies and trade associations to foster an alliance to promote increased Federal investments in mathematics, engineering and the physical sciences. This effort resulted in the establishment of the Alliance for Science and Technology Research in America (ASTRA).

Previously, Sargent served as Vice President for Operations of Braddock Publications/Communications. He served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1984 to 1999, rising to the rank of Captain while serving in a variety of positions, including: engineering company platoon leader, public affairs officer, command safety officer, and commander of the 201st Public Affairs Detachment.

Sargent holds a degree in systems engineering from the University of Virginia. He also serves on the Board of Advisors of the Converging Technologies Bar Association.