Agency
Profile
This
year, the National Science Foundation (NSF) celebrated its 50th Anniversary
as leader and steward of the nations science and engineering enterprise.
These fifty years have been marked by path-breaking advances in science
and engineering knowledge that have spurred innovation, fueled economic
growth, and led to the highest standard of living in U.S. history. Discoveries
at the frontiers of knowledge have transformed agriculture, communications,
transportation, and industry. They have contributed to significant improvements
in a broad array of areasamong them public safety, national defense,
health, and the environmentthat have secured greater social well
being for everyone in the U.S.
In just
the past decade, the U.S. has enjoyed an unprecedented period of economic
expansion that Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan has attributed
to advances in science, engineering, and technology. More than ever before
in history, strengthening national capabilities to create and make use
of knowledge will determine U.S. prospects for the future. Building on
its record of achievement, NSF aims in its next fifty years to advance
fundamental research and learning in all fields of science, mathematics
and engineering to ensure that future generations will enjoy sustained
prosperity and a higher quality of life.
The NSF Mission: Enabling
the Nations future through discovery, learning and innovation
President Franklin
D. Roosevelt, recognizing the important role that science and technology
played in the war effort, foresaw the potential contribution of the science
and engineering enterprise to the postwar world. At President Roosevelts
request, Vannevar Bush, then director of the wartime Office of Scientific
Research and Development, wrote a report, Science- the Endless Frontier
(1945), which laid the groundwork for the establishment of the Foundation.
On May 10, 1950, President Harry S. Truman signed into law The National
Science Foundation Act of 1950 (P.L. 81-507) which created NSF and its
mission to promote the progress of science; to advance the national
health, prosperity, and welfare; and for other purposes. The Act
authorizes and directs the Foundation to initiate and support basic scientific
research and research fundamental to the engineering process; programs
to strengthen scientific and engineering research potential; and education
programs at all levels in all fields of science and engineering. The Act
also authorizes the establishment of an information base for science and
engineering appropriate for development of national and international
policy. Over time, additional responsibilities have been added, such as
developing computer science and other methodologies; providing Antarctic
research, facilities and logistic support; and addressing issues of equal
opportunity in science and engineering. Today, NSF stands alone as the
only agency of the federal government devoted to supporting basic science
and engineering research and education in all fields of science and engineering
at all levels.
What NSF Does and How We Do It
NSF supports research and education via grants, contracts, and cooperative
agreements to about 1,800 colleges, universities, K-12 schools, academic
consortia, nonprofit organizations, small businesses and other research
institutions in all parts of the United States. The Foundation itself
does not conduct research or operate laboratories. Instead, NSFs
role is that of a catalystseeking out and funding the best ideas
and most capable people, making it possible for these researchers to pursue
new knowledge, discoveries, and innovation.
Each
year NSF receives nearly 30,000 proposals for research and educational
projects. Given NSFs available resources only about one in three
new proposals are funded. In addition to funding individuals and small
groups, NSF funds national research centers and state-of-the art research
facilities and instrumentation, such as the National Astronomy Centers,
oceanographic research ships and Antarctic research stations. NSF also
supports cooperative research between universities and industry as well
as U.S. participation in international scientific efforts. Education and
training activities supported by the Foundation benefit students from
kindergarten through the post-doctoral level, including the funding of
about 900 new graduate research fellowships each year.
Rigorous
merit review is a critical component of NSFs decision making process
for funding research and education projects. Award selections based on
a competitive merit review process with peer evaluation ensure that the
best ideas from the strongest researchers and educators will be identified
for funding. NSF awards directly engage an estimated 200,000 research
scientists, engineers, mathematicians, teachers and students, ranging
from K-12 to post-doctoral associates. Recipients of NSF funds are wholly
responsible for conducting their project activities and preparing the
results for publication.
In FY 2000, NSF support
of research activities totaled $2.9 billion and NSF support of education
activities totaled $0.6 billion, as indicated in the Statement of Net
Cost. Investment priorities focused on augmenting the nations information
technology (IT) knowledge base and strengthening the IT workforce, and
fostering research in Biocomplexity in the Environment to better understand
the dynamic interactions among the biological, physical and social components
of the Earths diverse systems. A new program initiated in FY 2000
was Partnerships for Innovation (PFI). PFIs goal is to build creative
interactions in local communities between colleges and universities, government
agencies, foundations and private corporations that will act as catalysts
in helping
communities transform new knowledge into innovations, create opportunities
for new wealth, and build strong local and regional economies.
NSF is committed
to ensuring that the U.S. has world class scientists and engineers, a
national workforce that is scientifically, technically and mathematically
strong, and a
citizenry that understands and can take full advantage of basic concepts
in science, math, engineering and technology (SMET). NSF supports education
and training efforts in all regions of the country, focusing on developing
new initiatives and instituting change, such as curriculum and instructional
materials development and comprehensive systemic improvement efforts at
the pre-college and undergraduate levels. NSF-supported informal science
programs reach a wide and diverse audience of millions, such as Galapagos,
a 3-D film currently being shown at the Smithsonian that shares with viewers
the experience of traveling with a team of researchers to a field site
in the exotic Galapagos Islands.
In FY 2000, NSF also
provided support for development of a National SMET Digital Library, a
virtual facility to link students, teachers, and university faculty and
provide broad access to standards-based science and math educational materials
and learning tools for schools and academic institutions nationwide.
NSFs
Organizational Structure
NSF
is headed by a Director who is appointed by the President and confirmed
by the U.S. Senate to serve a six-year term. NSFs current director,
distinguished biologist Dr. Rita R. Colwell, became NSFs eleventh
director in 1998. Dr. Colwell holds the distinction of being the first
woman to head NSF. A 24-member National Science Board (NSB) oversees the
policies and programs of the Foundation. Members are appointed by the
President with the consent of the Senate, and serve six-year terms. The
NSF Director is a member ex officio of the Board. The NSB also serves
the President and the Congress as an independent advisory body on policies
affecting the health of U.S. science and engineering in research and education.
NSF is structured
much like an academic institution, with divisions organized by disciplines
and fields of science and engineering, and for science, math, engineering
and technology education. There are seven operating directorates, two
management offices and an Office of Polar Programs. More detailed information
is provided in the Appendix, Description of NSF Directorates and
Management Offices.
NSF is funded primarily by Congressional appropriations and maintains
a staff of about 1,200 (full-time equivalents). To ensure that science
and engineering funded by the Foundation remains at the frontier of the
research enterprise, NSF utilizes the Intergovernmental Personnel Act
(IPA) and Visiting Scientists, Engineers and Educators (VSEE) programs
to regularly recruit outstanding scientists, engineers and mathematicians
to serve short-term periods, who bring with them new and innovative ideas.
NSF is a well-managed,
cost-effective agency, with internal operations consuming only 4% of its
total budget. However, workload has become a management issue as the Foundations
budget, workload volume and workload complexity have increased significantly
while staffing has remained relatively stable over the past decade. In
an attempt to accommodate an increased workload, NSF has been reengineering
the way it does business, streamlining and simplifying work processes.
In its pursuit of a paperless proposal and award process, NSF has been
recognized as a leader in the use of advanced information technologies
to improve internal operations and business transactions with the academic
research community. In FY 2000, 81% of full proposal submissions were
received and processed electronically and over 90% of grantee project
reports were submitted to NSF through the new Internet-based Project Reporting
System.
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