Meridian Institute

The Meridian Institute was established to help “decision makers and diverse stakeholders solve some of society's most contentious public policy issues.” The Institute's slogan is, “Connecting People to Solve Problems,” and its stated mission offers “expert process design and facilitation” to professional mediators, the “understanding of and experience with policy development and implementation,” to assist “ongoing working relationships with diverse stakeholders” and “in-depth substantive understanding of issues associated with the integration of environmental, economic and social priorities.”

The mission statement notes that Meridian's “practical approach often results in unlikely parties forging new partnerships and unique alliances.” They state that they “work with all involved parties to create the right conditions for creative, practical solutions, and mutually beneficial agreements that can be effectively implemented.” In addition, they state that “Meridian stands for impartiality, integrity, inclusiveness and respect for differences. We bring these values to processes that connect people to solve problems and make [Page 414]informed decisions in three major areas: multiparty problem solving, strategy assessment and planning, and leadership in the theory and practice of collaboration.” Meridian is headquartered in Dillon, Colorado (west of Denver), and it also maintains an office in Washington, D.C.

For over 20 years, the Meridian Institute has helped institutional customers, the public, private companies, and government institutions to establish strategies for moving forward, especially in adapting the use of new technologies. As a result, with the emergence of nanotechnology and nanoscience, the Meridian Institute started its newsletter, Nanotech and Development News, which has done much to promote developments in nanoscience. As well as publishing their own articles, they also brings together a large amount of research work first published elsewhere. It is e-mailed daily, free of charge, to those interested in nanoscience. Some of the stories raised in Nanotech and Development News are abstracts of scholarly papers, but many also involve technology transfer, the establishment of global and regional networks, information on upcoming conferences, and the publication of papers concerning recent conferences that have taken place. It has quickly emerged as one of the best sources of up-to-date information and newly published papers and stories related to nanotechnology, providing access to a wide range of ideas from around the world. It has also become an ideal forum for networking, and serves to notify scholars, academics, researchers, and policy makers about upcoming events or publications.

The Meridian Institute has also organized and/or participated in numerous conferences, regulatory committees, and dialogues concerning nanotechnology. Meridian staff facilitate the work of the National Pollution Prevention and Toxics Advisory Committee, a U.S. Federal Advisory Committee begun in 2003 that provides expert advice to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics. Other Meridian involvements in the area of nanotechnology including organizing a dialogue series in 2003 and 2004, in conjunction with the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, that focused on nanotechnology regulation in the United States; participating in an ongoing global dialogue (since 2004) on nanotechnology and the poor in developing countries; organizing and facilitating the Rockefeller Foundation Meetings on Nanotechnology that focus on issues including agriculture and health issues in nanotechnology; and facilitating the 2006 International Risk Governance Council's first workshop on risk governance in nanotechnology.

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