SUMMARY OF NSF ACCOUNTS
 

Research and Related Activities

The Research and Related Activities (R&RA) account supports activities that enable the U.S. to uphold world leadership in all aspects of science and engineering by maintaining the overall health of science and engineering across all disciplines, and providing leadership across the frontier of science and engineering research. R&RA provides support for research projects, research facilities, and education and training activities. Among the priorities for R&RA in FY 1999 are activities associated with the areas of Knowledge and Distributed Intelligence (KDI), Life and Earth’s Environment (LEE), and Educating for the Future (EFF). In FY 1999, NSF will implement efforts to address long-standing concerns about grant sizes by increasing the average size and duration of awards across R&RA. FY 1999 funding for R&RA totals $2.85 billion, an 11.8 percent increase over FY 1998. Within R&RA:

Education and Human Resources

The FY 1999 Budget Request for Education and Human Resources (EHR) is $683.0 million, an increase of $50.50 million, or 8 percent, over FY 1998. EHR supports a cohesive and comprehensive set of activities that encompass every level of education and every region of the country. EHR also plays a major role in the Foundation’s long-standing commitment to developing our nation’s human resources for the science and engineering workforce of the future.

 
Major Research Equipment

The FY 1999 Budget Request for Major Research Equipment (MRE) is $94.0 million, a decrease of $15.0 million, or 13.8 percent below the FY 1998 Current Plan of $109.0 million. The Major Research Equipment account funds the construction of major research facilities that provide unique capabilities at the cutting edge of science and engineering. Projects supported by this account are intended to expand the boundaries of technology and will offer significant new research opportunities, frequently in totally new directions, for the science and engineering community.

The MRE FY 1999 request includes funding for five projects: initial investments in the construction for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC); the second year of the Design and Development Phase for the Millimeter Array (MMA); construction of the Polar Cap Observatory (PCO); reconfiguration of Polar Support Aircraft; and support for the ongoing modernization of South Pole Station.
 

Salaries and Expenses

The FY 1999 Budget Request for Salaries and Expenses (S&E) is $144.0 million, an increase of 5.1 percent over the FY 1998 level of $136.95 million. The Salaries and Expenses appropriation provides funds for staff salaries and benefits, and general operating expenses necessary to manage and administer the NSF. The requested level supports 1,150 full-time equivalents (FTEs), provides for current administrative services, and enhances the agency’s investment in information technology to increase productivity.
 

Office of Inspector General

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) was established to promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in administering the Foundation’s programs; to detect and prevent fraud, waste, or abuse within NSF or by individuals that request or receive NSF funding; and to identify and resolve cases of misconduct in science. The FY 1999 request for the OIG is $5.20 million, an increase of $350,000, or 7.2 percent, over the FY 1998 level.