The Center for Nanotechnology in Society at the University of California, Santa Barbara serves as a national research and education center for the study of the interaction between nanotechnologies and society.

http://www.cns.ucsb.edu/
They are developing an integrated understanding of the nano-enterprise in the United States and globally. Their research teams is producing new knowledge about such critical areas as:

Historical and contemporary context of nanotechnologies
Nanoscale research networks and activities
Intellectual property structures and the innovation process
Global technological diffusion
Perception of risk
Social intelligence concerning nanotechnologies
Popular culture responses
Social movements in response to nanotechnologies
Public deliberation efforts