Nanotechnologies and nanomaterials: open call for tenders for project leaders and experts

CEN, CENELEC and ETSI have received a mandate by European Commission to provide standardization deliverables regarding nanotechnologies and nanomaterials. The mandated work will be carried out within CEN/TC 352 and AFNOR will deal with the administrative management of the standardization work.

Nanotechnologies are a rapidly developing field of science, technology and innovation. As enabling technologies, their full scope of applications is potentially very wide. Major implications are expected in areas such as health care, information and communication technologies, energy production and storage, materials science/chemical engineering, manufacturing, environmental protection, consumer products. This new technology is relevant in the miniaturization stages where the materials develop new functions of applications, which have not been possible before. Given the interests at stake, the European Commission has set out a European Strategy for or Nanotechnologies, based on a «safe, integrated and responsible» approach for which standardization is one of the building blocks.

Mandate M/461 for standardisation activities regarding nanotechnologies and nanomaterials, requested CEN, CENELEC and ETSI to develop European deliverables (European standards (EN), technical reports (TR) and technical specifications (TS)) in the following areas:

• Methodologies for nanomaterial characterization in the manufactured form and before toxicity and eco-toxicity testing;
• Sampling and measurement of workplace, consumer and environment exposure to nanomaterials
• Methods to simulate exposures to nanomaterials
• H, S & E (Health, Safety and the Environment)

CEN (European Standardization Committee) operates on a decentralized system covering a network of its 34 national members with a central secretariat, the CEN/CENELEC Management Centre (CCMC). It is a business facilitator in Europe, removing trade barriers for European industry and consumers. Its mission is to foster the European economy in global trading, the welfare of European citizens and the environment. Through its services it provides a platform for the development of European standards and other technical specifications. AFNOR is the French member of the National Standardization Bodies represented at the European and international level and detains the secretariat of CEN/TC 352 “Nanotechnologies”. The mandated work will be carried out within CEN/TC 352 and AFNOR will deal with the administrative management of the standardization work.

Candidates interested to take over:

• a Project leader for the development of a CEN Technical Specification (TS ) “Nanotechnologies – Guidance on the determination of aggregation and agglomeration state of nano-objects”;
• a Project leader for the development of a CEN Technical Specification (TS) “Nanotechnologies – Guidelines for the characterization of nanomaterials and/or materials that may contain of particles at the nanoscale in food products”.

Candidates are invited to send tenders by email to the secretary of CEN/TC 352 Nanotechnologies, Mr Patrice Conner Voir l'email – AFNOR Standardization – Management and Consumer Services Department – 11 rue Francis de Pressensé – F-93571 La Plaine Saint-Denis Cedex) as soon as possible and at the latest by 5 January 2021.