About the Project

Click HERE to see the GRACIOUS Project in nutshell! 

The GRACIOUS project will develop a highly innovative science-based framework that supports the assessment of risk posed by the ever increasing array of nanomaterials on the market and under development. The framework will streamline the process for assessing their risk by logically grouping nanomaterials thereby allowing extrapolation between (read-across) nanomaterials and reducing the need to assess exposure to and toxicity on a case by case basis.

Background: 

Manufacturing and functionalising materials at the nanoscale leads to a whole array of nanomaterials varying in e.g. size, morphology and surface characteristics. Due to financial, time and ethical consideration, safety testing of every unique nanomaterial for their potential adverse effects is virtually impossible. For these reasons, more efficient ways to obtain safety information are needed.

Ambition:

GRACIOUS has three fundamental ambitions:

• Excellence in science
• Relevance to stakeholders
• International cooperation and visibility.

Impact:  

Application of the Framework will allow movement away from the case-by-case risk assessment paradigm, thereby improving the efficiency of risk analysis and decision making for safer design of quality nano-enabled products.

Methodology:  

The project will work continuously with stakeholders in an iterative cycle of design, testing and refinement to ensure that the Framework effectively meets the needs of both regulators and industry.