The Office of Legislative and Public Affairs (OLPA) works to communicate the activities, programs, research results and policies of the U.S. National Science Foundation. OLPA employs a wide variety of tools and techniques to engage with the public, Congress, state and local governments, the news media, other federal agencies, internal NSF offices and directorates, and the research and education communities.

OLPA consists of four branches, including Business Operations, Creative Services, Government Affairs, and Public and Media Affairs.

ON THIS PAGE

• Office Head of OLPA
• Government Affairs Branch
• Public and Media Affairs Branch
• Creative Services Branch
• Business Operations Branch
• Additional resources

OFFICE HEAD OF OLPA

OLPA's office head is a member of the NSF senior management team.

The office head manages and oversees the office's staff and other resources to meet goals and objectives, including strategic planning, policy setting, and fostering partnerships with other NSF divisions and directorates, federal agencies, scientific organizations and other key external stakeholders.

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS BRANCH

The Government Affairs Branch provides strategic direction for NSF's legislative outreach to policymakers at the federal, state and local levels.

It is the front-line representation of NSF's mission and priorities to Members of Congress and congressional staff and is responsible for planning and coordinating the agency's legislative activities, analyses and strategies in close collaboration with NSF directorates and offices and other OLPA branches. It strategically positions NSF to build policymaker support for the mission, goals and core values of the agency — advancing the nation's critical need for robust science, technology, engineering and mathematics investments.

Visit the NSF & Congress webpage for information on the latest budget request to Congress, congressional testimonies and summaries, major legislation and program awards by State/District.

PUBLIC AND MEDIA AFFAIRS BRANCH

The Public and Media Affairs Branch is responsible for internal and external communications, including media relations, communications planning and strategy, messaging, and content development and outreach.

This branch works in coordination with the rest of OLPA to promote and strengthen NSF's brand and messaging, while connecting with audiences to highlight the agency's activities and accomplishments.

For media inquiries, please call (703) 292-7090 or email NSF Public Affairs at media@nsf.gov.

CREATIVE SERVICES BRANCH

The Creative Services Branch leads NSF's digital engagement and visual brand management strategy to strengthen the agency's brand identity, public image and key stakeholder support.

Through its work, the team's digital content creators help show the real-world impact of NSF-funded research and its benefits to both the nation and the world. This branch spearheads NSF's digital platform strategies through content created in collaboration with NSF directorates and offices and other OLPA branches and disseminates that content through social media, NSF.gov, and radio and television stations nationwide.

Please email nsfbranding@nsf.gov if you have questions about NSF branding or logo usage.

BUSINESS OPERATIONS BRANCH

The Business Operations Branch functions as a central hub that facilitates OLPA's day-to-day operations.

It provides critical management and oversight of OLPA's contracts, budget formulation and execution, administrative functions, human capital management and internal communications. The chief of business operations works in close coordination with other branch chiefs in OLPA to ensure positive and meaningful interactions with internal stakeholders — including NSF directorates and support services — and external stakeholders, including representatives from the media, Congress, academic institutions, and nonprofit and for-profit institutions.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Focus areas
  Explore NSF's priorities focused on accelerating new technologies and big ideas — from biology to technology.
• NSF news and announcements
  Keep up with the latest news from NSF.
• Science Matters blog
  Discover NSF stories about transforming the world through science.
• NSF's social media channels
  Follow NSF on social media and other platforms for the latest news, discoveries, funding opportunities, job openings and more.
• NSF toolkit
  Discover a variety of tools and resources that highlight the impact of NSF's investments in science and engineering, research and education.
• NSF's multimedia gallery
  Explore images, videos and podcasts curated and made by NSF.
• Subscribe to NSF email updates
  Be notified of the latest news or grant opportunities from NSF! You can personalize your profile, so you receive only the information of interest to you.
• "The Discovery Files" podcast
  Join us as we explore the world of scientific research, with commentary from the scientists making these discoveries. Subscribe wherever you get podcasts.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions concerning these webpages, please contact olpa-webmaster@nsf.gov.