NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF) 

 PERSPECTIVE 



General Description of Current Relationship: 



The National Science Foundation (NSF) was established to support science and engineering research and educa- 

 tion, to monitor the health of the research enterprise, and to encourage national poUcies to promote science and en- 

 gineering in the United States. NSF performs no research itself. Its responsibilities are carried out primarily by 

 funding academic institutions for research and education projects. 



Although NSF-funded research is only 3% of the Federal R&D budget, NSF is a major Federal sponsor of 

 science and engineering R&D activities at research-intensive universities (RIUs) across a wide array of science and 

 engineering fields. Principally through its support of academic research, NSF is a lead contributor to major national 

 science and technology initiatives in education, high performance computing and communication, advanced 

 materials and processing, global change, environmental science and technology, advanced manufacturing, and 

 biotechnology. NSF also funds various centers, research facilities, and programs operating outside an academic re- 

 search setting. NSF is a major contributor to mathematics and science education at all levels of the education system, 

 and directly supports promising science and engineering students on the undergraduate and graduate levels through 

 fellowships and traineeships and research assistantships on NSF grants. 



NSF enjoys a unique relationship with the science and engineering community. It is the only agency with a 

 policy-making board, the National Science Board, composed of external professionals serving on a voluntary, part- 

 time basis. The Board consists of twenty-four Presidentially-appointed and Senate-approved members, plus the 

 Foundation Director, ex officio. Members must be eminent in the fields of the basic, medical, or social sciences, en- 

 gineering, agriculture, education, research management or public affairs; selected solely on the basis of established 

 records of distinguished service; and must provide representation of the views of scientific and engineering leaders in 

 all areas of the Nation. 



The involvement of outstanding scientists and engineers, many from RIUs, permeates all aspects of NSF pro- 

 gram operations. They review research proposals and serve on advisory committees on a voluntary basis, and — as 

 "visiting scientists and engineers" — occupy temporary professional positions in the Foundation. In addition, NSF 

 permanent professional staff are encouraged to remain active in the communities they serve. This unique collabora- 

 tion has enabled the relatively small NSF budget to catalyze the growth of academic science and engineering 

 capability in a broad spectrum of fields, some of which otherwise receive little external support. 



The primary mechanism for researchers to obtain funding from NSF is the investigator initiated grant. Coopera- 

 tive agreements also are gaining importance as funding instruments. Excellence in the quality of the proposed re- 

 search, determined through merit review by peers, is the principal criterion for award. The system is highly selective, 

 funding only a fraction of the best proposals. For the researcher and instihJtion, an award from NSF indicates supe- 

 rior accomplishment and contributes to their standing, and that of their associated academic departments, in the 

 scholarly community. 



The NSF/RIU relationship is a fundamental component of the U.S. academic research enterprise, internationally 

 acknowledged as the best in the world. In FY 1992 NSF's research funding included about $1.6 billion to institutions 

 of higher education, principally the RIUs. This accounted for about 82% of the total NSF research budget. Over 

 16,000 senior academic researchers, nearly 4,000 post-doctoral researchers, and 16,000 graduate research assistants 

 were supported under NSF-funded projects. 



Public Benefits from Research-Intensive Universities/NSF Relationship: 



• Support for academic R&D as a long-term national investment in science and engineering infrastructure, 

 for example in: 



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