954 



TABLE 17.— NSF, OBLIGATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 1972 RESEARCH, SCIENCE EDUCATION AND RELATED 



ACTIVITIES 



1 $1,902,933. 



2 $96,665. 



Sources: U.S. Congress, House Committee on Science and Astronautics Subcommittee on Science, Research, snd 

 Development, "1974 National Science Foundation Authorization: Hearings," 1973, p. 325. 



In 1972 the Foundation requested increased dollar authorization, 

 in the sum of $150,000, under the support category of International 

 Cooperative Scientific Activities to improve administration of the 

 special foreign currency program. Only these dollar funds would be 

 used by the Office of International Programs for : 



(1) indirect costs of American universities associated with the administration of 

 projects funded with excess currency; (2) support of scientists from excess foreign 

 currency countries in U.S. universities . . .; (3) purchase of minor pieces of 

 equipment . . .; and (4) travel of U.S. scientists to excess currency countries 

 which have restrictions of the use of their currency for international travel purposes 

 (India, Burma, Guinea, Poland, and Morocco) .2** 



The fiscal year 1974 request totaled $200,000.2«5 



Travel To Attend Scientific Meetings 



The NSF supports several programs awarding travel funds to U.S. 

 scientific and technical personnel to participate in international 

 scientific meetings or to attend scientific meetings abroad. The Office 

 of International Programs supports two types of travel programs: 

 (1) U.S. participation in planning and attending activities of inter- 

 national scientific organizations, through grants awarded to the 

 National Academy of Sciences; and (2) travel grants to individuals 

 under terms of bilateral agreements. The NSF Research Directorate 

 administers two types of awards: (1) travel grants to individuals to 

 attend scientific conferences held abroad; and (2) block travel grants 

 to professional associations, which directly select individuals to 

 receive travel funds. Only these two Research Directorate programs 

 wall be described in this section. The Division of Graduate Education 

 in Science supports individuals to attend NATO Advanced Study 

 Institutes and foreign conferences on science education. 



SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL GRANTS PROGRAM 



NSF programs for U.S. participation in international scientific 

 meetings or in meetings held abroad began in 1950 and were imple- 

 mented initially under the Foundation's authority for science 

 information to strengthen the base of American science.^*® Although 



264 NSF, Justification of Estimates of Appropriations, FY 1973, op. cit., p. H-4. 



265 1974 National Science Foundation Authorization: Hearings, op. cit., p. 325. 



266 The NSF enabling Act authorized and directed the Foundation "to foster the interchange of scientific 

 information among scientists in the United States and foreign countries. . . ." Section 3(a) (5) of the NSF 

 Act of 1950 was cited as primary justiflcation for early information activities until passage of the NSF amend- 

 ments of 1968. 



