20 



in FY 1997, will support fundamental research and national user facilities across the geosciences. 

 including emphasis on the U S Weather Research Program and National Space Weather 

 Program, the global seismic network, interdisciplinary projects in environmental geochemistry and 

 biogeochemistry, studies on coastal ocean processes and global ocean circulation, and 

 international activities for ocean drilling, continental drilling, and global change research 



Mathematical and Physical Sciences 



The Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) Activity supports research in mathematics, 

 astronomy, physics, chemistry, and materials science Major equipment and instrumentation such 

 as particle accelerators and telescopes are provided to support the research needs of individual 

 investigators The 8 8 percent increase, to $708 million in FY 1997, will support research in 

 multidisciplmary areas such as nanoscience and engineering, optical science and engineering, 

 biomolecular materials, undergraduate and graduate activities in education, and enhance support 

 for instrumentation and facilities 



Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences 



The Social. Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE) Activity supports research to build 

 fundamental scientific knowledge about human characteristics and behavior SBE also supports 

 the Foundation's international activities, providing US scientists and engineers with access to 

 centers of excellence in science and engineering research and education throughout the world 

 To improve understanding of the science and engineering enterprise, SBE provides informational 

 tools for tracking the human and institutional resources that make up the nation's science and 

 engineering infrastructure. The 8 6 percent increase to $124 million in FY 1997 will provide 

 increased support for: multidisciplmary research on topics including human capital, Learning and 

 Intelligent Systems, decisionmaking related to risk, and the use of digital libraries; additional 

 activities to provide international experiences for young researchers, and enhanced data 

 collection and assessment activities by the Science Resources Studies Subactivity 



Polar Programs 



Polar Programs, which includes the US Polar Research Programs and US Antarctic Logistical 

 Support Activities, supports multi-disciplinary research in Arctic and Antarctic regions Polar 

 regions play a critical role in world weather and climate and provide unique research opportunities 

 ranging from studies of the earth, ice and oceans to research in atmospheric sciences and 

 astronomy In FY 1997, Polar Programs increase 4 1 percent, to $226 million Priority is given 

 to increases for arctic research, including Arctic System Science which focuses on 

 interdisciplinary approaches Increases are also provided for research on Antarctic ice sheets 

 and oceans, and for science facilities and operations that make Antarctic research possible 

 Critical safety issues at the South Pole are addressed though the Major Research Equipment 

 account 



Critical Technologies Institute 



The Critical Technologies Institute is a Federally-Funded Research and Development Center 

 established in 1992 by Congress to support the complex task of devising and implementing 

 science and technology policy Specifically, the Institute provides analytical support to the Office 

 of Science and Technology Policy to identify near-term and long-term objectives for research and 

 development and identify options for achieving those objectives 



