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ACTIVITY SUMMARIES 



Funding for the National Science Foundation is provided in the following Activities 



Biological Sciences 



The Biological Sciences (BIO) Activity fosters understanding of the underlying principles and 

 mechanisms governing life Research ranges from the study of the structure and dynamics of 

 biological molecules, such as proteins and nucleic acids, through cells, organs and organisms, to 

 studies of populations and ecosystems It encompasses processes that are internal to the 

 organism as well as those that are external, and includes temporal frameworks ranging from 

 measurements in real time through individual life spans, to the full scope of evolutionary time. The 

 8 6 percent increase, to a total of $326 million in FY 1997, will support research in microbial 

 biology, genome sequencing, computational and theoretical biology, and ecosystem restoration 

 and bioremediation 



Computer and Information Science and Engineering 



Research in the Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) Activity includes 

 theory and foundations of computing, system software design, engineering design, prototyping, 

 testing, and deployment of cutting-edge computing and communications systems to address 

 complex research problems The 8 6 percent increase, to a total of $277.0 million in FY 1997, is 

 principally directed toward research pertaining to learning and intelligent systems, new 

 technologies for scalable high performance computing and high bandwidth communications, and 

 the convergence of computing and communications In FY 1997, the Supercomputer Centers 

 program will transition to the new Partnerships for Advanced Computational Infrastructure 

 program in order to facilitate continuing U S. world leadership in computational science and 

 engineering, with the new Partnerships in place and fully operational in FY 1998 



Engineering 



The Engineering (ENG) Activity seeks to improve the quality of life and the long-term economic 

 strength of the nation by fostering innovation, creativity, and excellence in engineering education 

 and research ENG seeks to promote the natural synergy between engineering education, 

 fundamental research, and the application of technical knowledge The ENG Activity's 12 

 percent increase, to a total of $354 33 million for FY 1997, will go to support research in areas 

 such as learning and intelligent systems, environmental technology, and the synthesis and 

 processing of nano-particles Funds are included to meet the mandated level for the Foundation- 

 wide Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. 



Geosciences 



The Geosciences (GEO) Activity supports research in the atmospheric, earth, and ocean 

 sciences Basic research in the geosciences advances the scientific knowledge of the Earth, 

 including resources such as water, energy, minerals, and biological diversity GEO supported 

 research also advances the ability to predict natural phenomena of economic and human 

 significance, such as climate changes, weather, earthquakes, fish-stock fluctuations, and 

 disruptive events in the solar-terrestrial environment The 8 6 percent increase, to $454.0 million 



