White House Declares Science Priorities For FY 2009 — Engineering over Environment, Applied over Basic, Corporate over Public [1] - Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, USA
The budgetary priorities announced for Fiscal Year 2009 display a preference for engineering projects from space exploration to hydrogen fuel development, stress domestic and military security and, with minor exceptions, discourage new public health or environmental initiatives.

Nanotechnology: Waiting for the Killer App [2] - Nanotechnology Now, USA
When given information about possible future applications of nanotechnology, people focus overwhelmingly on medicine, followed by environmental and energy applications, and then uses in the national security realm. Nano-engineered cosmetics, and many other consumer products, are way down on their priority lists.