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PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS 

 FOR ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT 



NSF manages its research and education programs through a cycle that involves choosing an 

 appropriate portfolio of programs and activities, project selection, and project and program 

 assessment 



Portfolio Management 



As described in the Budget Overview, NSF balances its portfolio of activities in a variety of ways, 

 introducing new programs and shifting resources toward existing ones regularly The amount of 

 funds obligated for facilities as a percentage of total obligations is one of NSF's measures of 

 balance in its portfolio Facilities funding can grow out of balance with other activities, given the 

 possibility of large, sudden incremental construction or operations costs NSF management and 

 the National Science Board guard against this threat to the overall balance in the NSF investment 

 portfolio in their continual review of facility plans. This year, NSF staff recommended and the 

 Board approved the principle that facilities funding should remain in the range of 20 to 25 percent 

 of the total budget. Achieving this goal will require continued management attention during the 

 budget process, as well as on-time, on-budget performance from the facilities themselves. 



Facilities Obligations as a Percent of Program Funds 



Project Selection 



• Merit review is a key investment strategy for NSF, since it maintains standards of excellence 

 and allows flexible response to changing research opportunities. NSF's goal in the merit 

 review process is to invest available resources to yield maximum benefits for the American 

 public. Merit review activity measures indicate the level of program officer and agency effort 

 going into this key investment process. 



Merit Review Activity Measures 



Requested Reviews 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 



Total Number of Reviews (1000s) 



Ad Hoc Mail Reviews (100s) 



Reviews Requested per Proposal 



Percent of Mail Reviews Completed 66% 64% 64% 65% 63% 64% 



Applicants for grants are the major customers of NSF's administrative services. NSF has 

 adopted ambitious customer service standards, and is working to meet them. NSF's 

 customer service standards commit us to an improvement to lead time of three months for 

 program announcements and solicitations. They also commit NSF to be able to tell applicants 

 whether their proposals have been declined or recommended for funding within six months for 

 95 percent of proposals, unless the program announcement or solicitation states otherwise 



