918 



Succeeding sections describe the activities and status of the Founda- 

 tion's programs to send scientific and technical personnel abroad. 

 Summary observations are included in the concluding section. 



Slow Growth in NSF Authority for International Science 



As noted the Foundation's authority to support international 

 science activities was not clearly defined until 1968, when the Congress 

 expanded and revised the NSF enabling legislation. From 1950 to 

 1968, the Foundation's support of international science, including 

 sponsorship of Americans to travel, research and study abroad, was 

 based on broad interpretation of two provisions of the original legis- 

 lation which limited the agency's support primarily to basic scien- 

 tific research designed to strengthen domestic science ^^^ and to foster 

 the interchange of scientific information between foreign and U.S. 

 scientists."' Under this statute the Foundation was permitted to 

 award science education grants tenable abroad; ^^° to award basic 

 research grants tenable abroad; ^^^ to support defense related re- 

 search; *^^ to cooperate in international scientific activities at the 

 approval of the Secretary of State ; ^^ and to support the attendance 

 of Americans at international scientific meetings, with the approval 

 of the National Science Board.^^* The Foundation also had authority, 

 under the Economy Act of 1932, as amended, to accept funds by 

 transfer from other departments or agencies and to use them for 

 the purposes for which they were originally appropriated. ^^^ 



The Agency's mandate to support international science was 

 broadened somewhat in 1959, following launching of the Soviet 

 Sputnik, when the Congress amended section 13 of the enabling 

 legislation substituting "iutemational scientific activities" for the 

 original phrase "international scientific research activities." ^^* At 

 the same time^ the Congress expanded the Foundation's authorization 

 to support education and training of foreign scientists in this country. 

 Authority "to foster the interchange of scientific information among 

 scientists of the United States and foreign countries," was broadened 

 also following passage of the National Defense Education Act of 

 1958.^^^ With these actions support for the program category "inter- 

 national scientific activities" rapidly increased, starting in 1959, and 

 has consistently enlarged since that time. See Table 8. 



118 S«c. 3 (a) (2), P.L. 81-507. 



119 Sec. 3(a)(5). 

 iM Sec. 10. 



121 Sec. 11(c). 



1" Sec. 11(c). 



iM Sec. 13(a). 



i2< Sec. 13(a). 



i2« 31 use 686. History discussed in: TT.S., Congress, House, Committee on Government Operations, 

 Subcommittee on Research and Techinlcal Programs, Federal Foreign Research Spending and the Dottar 

 Drain: Hearings, 89th Cong., 2d sess., February 10 and 24, 1966, pp. 33-34. 



i2« Public Law 86-232, September 9, 1959. 



1" U.S., Congress, House, Committee on Science and Astronautics, Subcommittee on Science, Research 

 and Development, The Participation of Federal Agencies In International Scientific Programs: Report. Pre- 

 pared by tlie Science Policy Research and Foreign Affairs Divisions, Legislative Reference Service, Library 

 of Congress, 90th Cong., 1st sess., 1967, pp. 79-80 (which gives a history of the expansion of the Foundation's 

 authority). 



