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Technology for Education: The dramatic breakthroughs in information technology and communications 

 have the potential to revolutionize the future of education Instructional methods and curricula will need to 

 change as schools provide computers for their students and are linked to national and international 

 information resources Building the effective use of technology into education programs, including the 

 systemic reform programs, will be a key component of NSF's activities aimed at preparing students for the 

 challenges of the next century 



Integration of Research and Education: This core strategy from NSF's strategic plan is a key component 

 of the Foundation's vision for establishing a linkage between learning and discovery Educating todays 

 students in a discovery-rich environment will better prepare them to meet tomorrow's challenges. Likewise, 

 history has shown that research in an education-rich environment yields an exceptionally dynamic and 

 diverse enterprise 



• The CAREER program (Faculty Early Career Development) enables scientists and engineers to develop 

 their skills in both research and education The awards provide a framework for junior-level faculty to link 

 their research activities with their teaching and mentoring responsibilities In FY 1997, this program will 

 almost double, to total $73 million, 



• A new activity will focus on the identification and recognition of universities with significant research 

 capabilities that have shown bold leadership, exceptional innovation, and tangible accomplishment in 

 linking research and education. This program, which will total approximately $5 million, will be one of the 

 activities supported through the Foundation's Opportunity Fund in FY 1997, 



ENVIRONMENT 



NSF has had a strong presence in research on the environment for many years The focus of NSF programs 

 has been on enhancing the understanding of complex dynamics among natural systems and humans and 

 developing the knowledge important to preserving, managing and improving the environment. 



• FY 1997 sees increased emphasis on environmental research in areas such as natural hazard reduction, 

 water, coastal and marine studies; biodiversity and its role in ecological systems; environmental 

 technologies, and bioremediation 



• Several activities will combine to establish an urban long term ecological research site, the first that 

 focuses on a human-based ecology. 



• Polar research makes significant contributions to NSF's portfolio of environmental activities The general 

 infrastructure of the research station at the South Pole has deteriorated, and a code inspection in 1993 

 identified over 300 deficiencies. It is increasingly costly to maintain activities within acceptable risk 

 bounds To address safety and environmental concerns, specific improvements totaling $25 million in FY 

 1997 are proposed to address critical shortcomings 



NSF also participates in the interagency Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment 

 (GLOBE) initiative 



INFORMATION FOR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 



NSF provides state-of-the-art computing and communications capabilities essential for advanced work in all 

 fields of science and engineering through its supercomputer centers and networking activities. Over the past 

 decade, access to such capabilities has driven a sea change in many fields of science and engineering, 

 providing new means for testing theories and for running different kinds of experiments. Information, always 

 the lifeblood of science and engineering, is now being collected and analyzed in new and different ways, 

 providing valuable tools for predicting the behavior of diverse phenomena 



