33 



research through facilities enhancement and acquisition and development of instrumentation for 

 shared use 



Biotechnology. The FY 1997 estimate for Biotechnology is $176 million, a 6 2 percent increase over 

 the FY 1996 estimate The goals for this area are to increase understanding of biological systems at 

 the most basic level and to develop the infrastructure and human resources for continued progress in 

 biotechnology Priorities remain: environmental biotechnology, bioprocessing/ bioconversion, and 

 plant/agriculture biotechnology Special focus areas within these priorities include: building the 

 knowledge base, the sequencing of the Arabidopsis genome, and interagency partnerships in 

 multidisciplinary research on bioremediation and metabolic engineering 



Civil Infrastructure Systems. The FY 1997 estimate for Civil Infrastructure Systems (CIS) is $57 

 million, a 4.3 percent increase from the FY 1996 estimate FY 1997 activities emphasize systemic 

 research with broad-based participation and enhanced partnerships and linkages, including 

 international interactions. Research priorities include: new and improved materials, deterioration of 

 materials and systems: life cycle performance evaluation of systems and components: recycling and 

 retrofit/repair technologies; intelligent renewal decisions for urban infrastructure systems; mitigation of 

 earthquakes and other hazards, and institutional effectiveness and productivity. 



Environment and Global Change. The FY 1997 estimate for Environment and Global Change 

 (EGC) is $346 million, a 6.5 percent increase over the FY 1996 estimate. The goals of environment 

 and global change research are to enhance understanding of complex dynamics among natural 

 systems and humans; to develop knowledge to preserve, manage and improve the environment; and 

 to provide scientific background for national and international policies. In FY 1997, the overall EGC 

 priorities reflect increased emphasis on: research related to natural hazard reduction; water, coastal 

 and marine research, biodiversity, pollution prevention technologies and bioremediation. global ocean 

 studies and climate modeling Some large scale international programs are making a transition from 

 data collection to data analysis. 



High Performance Computing and Communications. The FY 1997 estimate for High Performance 

 Computing and Communications (HPCC) is $280 million, a 3 6 percent reduction from the FY 1996 

 estimate NSF's work in the HPCC area is coordinated through the interagency High Performance 

 Computing, Communications, and Information Technology Subcommittee on Information and 

 Communications (CIC) of the National Science and Technology Council In keeping with National 

 Research Council studies of the overall HPCC program, the CIC has reformulated the national effort 

 to reflect the rapid evolution of HPCC technologies For FY 1997, NSF's goals, priorities, and funding 

 estimates are consistent with this reformulation which emphasizes Global Scale Information 

 Infrastructure Technologies; High Performance Scaleable Systems; High Confidence Systems; Virtual 

 Environments; User-Centered Interfaces and Tools; and Human Resources and Education 



Manufacturing. The FY 1997 estimate for Manufacturing is $125 million, a 3 6 percent increase over 

 the FY 1996 estimate In FY 1997, increased support will be given to: developing software and 

 hardware tools for virtual and physical rapid prototyping, advanced fabrication and processing 

 methods that are resource and energy efficient, developing the fundamental breakthroughs in 

 sensors, process modeling, computation and control, and in their coordinated application for next 

 generation intelligent manufacturing systems; and research on environmentally conscious design and 

 manufacturing, including methodologies for design for disassembly and recyclability, life cycle 

 design/assessment and material life cycle analyses. 



Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technological Education. The FY 1997 estimate for 

 Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technological Education (SMETE) is $695 million, an 

 increase of 8.4 percent over the FY 1996 estimate. NSF is working to strengthen partnerships with 

 industry, state and local governments, and schools, colleges and universities throughout the country 

 NSF is committed to providing the citizenry with the knowledge and skills needed to meet the 



