Credit: ©2002 David S. Goodsell, Scripps Research Institute
About the cover image:
Macrophages circulate through the blood, searching for bacterial infection. When bacteria are found, macrophages engulf and digest them. This series of three paintings shows a macrophage engulfing a bacterium.
Knowledge and innovation are powerful forces for progress in the lives of peopleand nations. The leadership of the United States and its unsurpassed standard of livingrest on the solid foundation of achievement in science and engineering. Investments infundamental research and education have supported decades of U.S. global leadershipin discovery, learning and innovation.
The National Science Foundation requests $5.745 billion in FY 2005 to ensure that U.S.science and engineering capabilities and skills remain world class. These investmentswill enhance discovery and accelerate the country to greater economic and social prosperity.
NSF research and education programs have provided a steady stream of benefits to thenation for over fifty years. NSF investments in the physical sciences are allowing us toprobe the origins of the universe, to create new materials for the 21st century, and tounderstand the basic forces and processes that enable and shape biological activity.
Today, the nation faces new economic, social and security challenges that make maintaining the strength of our science and engineering enterprise an imperative. That means pioneering new frontiers in every field of science, engineering and technology. It means enriching education and experience for our world-class science, engineering and technology workforce and making it more diverse in the process. At the same time, it means building strong partnerships within the global research community.
We have crossed the threshold into a new era of exploration, one that will give us deeper understanding of our planet, the universe and ourselves. The opportunity to improve the quality of people's lives worldwide - through new products, processes and services - is within our reach.
The NSF FY 2005 Budget Request addresses these opportunities and challenges through an integrated portfolio of investments in People, Ideas, Tools, and Organizational Excellence, so that the job gets done effectively and meets the highest expectations of the U.S. public. In keeping with efforts to promote fiscal responsibility across the government, NSF's FY 2005 Request identifies three clear priorities:
- Strengthen NSF management to maximize effectiveness and performance.
- Improve the productivity of researchers and expand opportunities for students.
- Strengthen the nation's performance with world-class instruments and facilities.
READ MORE
To view other sections of the budget request, please use the links below:
For more information about file formats used on the NSF site, please see https:/www.nsf.gov/help/plugins.jsp.