- National Science Board
-
National Science Board, NSF 
Motto: Supporting Education and Research across all fields of Science and Technology America's Investment in the Future
Where Discoveries BeginAgency overview Formed 10 May 1950 Headquarters Arlington, VA Agency executives Ray M. Bowen, Chairman
Esin Gulari, Vice-Chairman
Michael L. Van Woert, Executive OfficerWebsite www.nsf.gov/nsb The National Science Board of the United States is composed of 25 members appointed by the President and confirmed by the United States Senate, representing the broad U.S. science and engineering community. The Board establishes the policies of the National Science Foundation (NSF) within the framework of applicable national policies set forth by the President and the Congress. The Board also serves as an independent policy advisory body to the President and Congress on science and engineering research and education issues and has a statutory obligation to "...render to the President and to the Congress reports on specific, individual policy matters related to science and engineering and education in science engineering, as the Board, the President, or the Congress determines the need for such reports,"[1] and to "...render to the President and the Congress no later than January 15 of each even numbered year, a report on indicators of the state of science and engineering in the United States."[2]
Contents
Background
The National Science Board was created through the National Science Foundation Act of 1950: "There is established in the executive branch of the Government an independent agency to be known as the National Science Foundation (hereinafter referred to as the “Foundation”). The Foundation shall consist of a National Science Board (hereinafter referred to as the “Board”) and a Director."[3]
As an independent Federal agency, NSF does not fall within a cabinet department; rather NSF's activities are guided by the National Science Board (NSB or Board). The Board was established by the Congress to serve as a national science policy body, and to oversee and guide the activities of NSF. It has dual responsibilities to: a) provide independent national science policy advice to the President and the Congress; and b) establish policies for NSF.
The Board meets five times per year to review and approve major NSF awards and new programs, provide policy direction to NSF, and address significant science and engineering related national policy issues. It initiates and conducts studies and reports on a broad range of policy topics, and publishes policy papers or statements on issues of importance to U.S. science and engineering research and education enterprises. The Board identifies issues that are critical to NSF's future, and approves NSF's strategic plan and the annual budget submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Specifically, the Board analyzes NSF's budget to ensure progress and consistency in keeping with the strategic direction set for NSF and to ensure balance between new investments and core programs.
Composition
Photo Credit: Sandy Schaeffer Photography; Absent from the photo Dr. John T. Bruer, Dr. G. Wayne Clough, and Dr. Kathryn D. Sullivan.The Board has 24 members appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, plus the NSF Director who serves as an ex officio member (for a total of 25 members). Every two years, one-third (eight) of the members rotate off of the Board and eight new members are appointed (or occasionally re-appointed) to serve for six-year terms. Board member nominations are based on distinguished service and eminence in research, education and/or public service. Members are drawn from academia and industry, and represent a diverse range of science, technology, engineering, and education disciplines and geographic areas.
Members of the National Science Board[4]
- Terms expire May 10, 2012
- Mark R. Abbott - Dean and Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University
- Camilla P. Benbow – Patricia and Rodes Hart Dean of Education and Human Development, Peabody College of Education and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
- John T. Bruer - President, The James S. McDonnell Foundation, St. Louis, Missouri
- Patricia D. Galloway - Chief Executive Officer, Pegasus Global Holdings, Inc., Cle Elum, Washington
- José-Marie Griffiths - Vice President of Academic Affairs, Bryant University, Smithfield, Rhode Island
- Arthur K. Reilly - Senior Director, Strategic Technology Policy, Cisco Systems, Inc., Ocean, New Jersey[disambiguation needed
] - Thomas N. Taylor – Roy A. Roberts Distinguished Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Curator of Paleobotany, Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Research Center, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas
- Richard F. Thompson - Keck Professor of Psychology and Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
- Terms expire May 10, 2014
- Ray M. Bowen - Chairman, National Science Board and President Emeritus, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
- France A. Córdova – President, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
- Esin Gulari – Vice Chairman, National Science Board and Dean of Engineering and Science, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina
- G.P. "Bud" Peterson – President, Georgia Institute of Technology
- Douglas D. Randall - Professor and Thomas Jefferson Fellow, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
- Diane L. Souvaine - Professor and Chair, Department of Computer Science, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts
Nominated/Senate Confirmation Pending
- Arnold F. Stancell - Emeritus Professor and Turner Leadership Chair; Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
- Claude M. Steele - Provost of Columbia University
- Terms expire May 10, 2016
- Dan E. Arvizu - Director and Chief Executive, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, Colorado
- Kelvin K. Droegemeier – Associate Vice President for Research, Regents' Professor of Meteorology and Weathernews Chair University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma
- Alan I. Leshner - Chief Executive Officer, Executive Publisher, Science, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, D.C.
- W. Carl Lineberger - Fellow of JILA, E. U. Condon Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, University of Colorado
Nominated/Senate Confirmation Pending
- Anneila I. Sargent - Benjamin M. Rosen Professor of Astronomy, Vice President for Student Affairs, California Institute of Technology
- Robert J. Zimmer - President; University of Chicago
- One available seat
- Ex-Officio Member
- Subra Suresh - Director, National Science Foundation, Arlington, Virginia
- Board Consultants
- Louis J. Lanzerotti - Distinguished Research Professor of Physics, Center for Solar Terrestrial Research, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey
- Executive Officer and NSB Office Director
- Michael L. Van Woert, National Science Board Office, Arlington, Virginia
Committees
Much of the background work of the National Science Board is done through its committees. By statute, the Board has an Executive Committee (EC),[5] which exercises such functions as are delegated to it by the Board, and such other committees as the Board deems necessary. As of January 2009, the Board has five other standing committees.[6]
- Statutory Committees
- Executive Committee
- Standing Committees
- Audit and Oversight (A&O)
- Education and Human Resources (CEH)
- Programs and Plans (CPP)
- Science and Engineering Indicators (SEI)
- Strategy and Budget (CSB)
- Subcommittees, Task Forces and ad hoc Committees
- CPP Subcommittee on Polar Issues
- CPP Task Force on Sustainable Energy
- CSB Task Force on Cost Sharing
- Task Force for the NSF 60th Anniversary
- Task Group on Preparing the Next Generation of STEM Innovators
- Task Force on Merit Review
- Task Force on Data Policies
- Task Force on Unsolicited Mid-Scale Research
Activities
In 2009-10, the Board authorized three new activities:
During 2008, the Board completed several items in terms of its mission to provide policy direction to the NSF, including: approved the NSF annual Merit Review Report and provided review and decisions on major awards or proposal funding requests. In addition, the Board’s report, Enhancing Support of Transformative Research at the National Science Foundation, provided guidance on the creation of a new NSF Transformative Research Initiative. In terms of advice to the President and the Congress, the Board approved, published, and distributed the report, HURRICANE WARNING: The Critical Need for a National Hurricane Research Initiative. This report provides broad recommendations regarding the United States' hurricane research enterprise, as well as specific guidance for the role that NSF should play in these efforts. The Board also received the report of its Commission on 21st Century Education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and developed a Board national action plan for addressing the critical STEM education needs of our Nation while providing specific guidance for the role of NSF in the national STEM education enterprise (STEM Action Plan). During FY 2008, the Subcommittee on Science and Engineering Indicators (now a full standing committee) prepared a policy statement Companion Piece to Science and Engineering Indicators 2008, and produced a pilot volume of a Science and Engineering Indicators Digest, which will highlight a small selection of core and topical S&T, and serve as a portal to the electronic version of Science and Engineering Indicators 2008.
Future STEM Innovators
Front Cover, STEM Innovators Report 2010
On August 24–25, 2009, the Board held a two-day expert panel discussion on, "Preparing the Next Generation of STEM Innovators." The discussion featured a number of experts from around the U.S. including, Joyce VanTassel-Baska, Nicholas Colangelo, Stephanie Pace Marshall, Dean Kamen, Joshua Wyner and U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan. The goal of the expert panel discussion was to inform the Board's thinking on recommendations to NSF and perhaps the federal government on how to identify and develop U.S. children and young adults who are talented and motivated and have the potential to become future leaders in STEM fields. The STEM Innovators report was approved by the full Board on May 5, 2010.[7] More information regarding the STEM Innovators project and panel discussion can be found here: STEM Innovators Expert Panel Discussion
The STEM Innovators full report was released on September 15, 2010 at the National Press Club.
Sustainable Energy
Front Cover, Sustainable Energy Report 2009As part of its role in advising U.S. science policy, in 2010, the Board released a report on sustainability, "Building a Sustainable Energy Future: U.S. Actions for an Effective Energy Economy Transformation," on August 3, 2009.[8]
Cost sharing
In 2009, the Board released, "Investing in the Future: NSF Cost Sharing Policies for a Robust Federal Research Enterprise."[9] The recommendations in this report were intended to "improve consistency and clarity of NSF cost sharing practices and policy and to maximize the effectiveness of institutional dollars invested in research."
STEM education recommendations
In January 2009, the NSB approved and transmitted a set of six recommendations to the Barack Obama Administration. These recommendations outline a series of steps to improve STEM education and foster innovation to ensure both scientific literacy among the public and ensure global competitiveness in the 21st century.[10]
From the STEM education recommendations:
- The National Science Board (Board) recommends a set of actions for the new Administration to implement starting in early 2009 to advance STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education for all American students, to nurture innovation, and to ensure the long-term economic prosperity of the Nation. The urgency of this task is underscored by the need to ensure that the United States continues to excel in science and technology in the 21st century. It must develop the ideas that could transform and strengthen the economy, ensure a skilled workforce for American industry, and guarantee that all American students are provided the educational resources and tools needed to participate fully in the science and technology based economy of the 21st century. The solutions we offer here are derived from studies by the Board over the past decade and reflect our continued commitment to a high quality STEM education system for America.
More information about the Board's STEM Education related activities can be found here: STEM Education
Science & Engineering Indicators
Front Cover, Science & Engineering Indicators 2010Science & Engineering Indicators (SEI)[11] is prepared by the National Science Foundation's National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) on behalf of the National Science Board as required by law.[12] It is subject to extensive review by outside experts, interested federal agencies, NSB members, and SRS internal reviewers for accuracy, coverage, and balance.
SEI comprise quantitative data on the U.S. and international science and engineering enterprise. It objectively reviews science and engineering progress in US and international arena. Though the report does not offer policy options and recommendations, it is used by different governmental and non-governmental entities to formulate their own policies and recommendations. SEI employs a variety of presentational styles—tables, figures, narrative text, bulleted text, web-based links, highlights, introductions, conclusions, reference lists—to make the data accessible to readers with different information needs and different information processing preferences.
Recently published indicators:
- Science and Engineering Indicators 2006
- Science and Engineering Indicators 2008
- Science and Engineering Indicators 2010
- Chapters
SEI includes seven chapters that follow a generally consistent pattern; an eighth chapter, on state indicators, presented in a unique format; and an overview that precedes these eight chapters. The chapter titles are:
- Elementary and Secondary Education
- Higher Education in Science and Engineering
- Science and Engineering Labor Force
- Research and Development: National Trends and International Linkages
- Academic Research and Development
- Industry, Technology, and the Global Marketplace
- Science and Technology: Public Attitudes and Understanding
- State Indicators
An appendix volume, available online at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/indicators/ contains detailed data tables keyed to each of the eight chapters listed.
- Companion to SEI
A National Science Board policy statement "companion piece," authored by the Board, draws upon the data in SEI and offers recommendations on issues of concern for national science and engineering research or education policy, in keeping with the Board's statutory responsibility to bring attention to such issues. In 2006, the Board produced a pilot "digest" or condensed version of SEI comprising a small selection of important indicators. This Digest of Key Science and Engineering Indicators serves two purposes: (1) to draw attention to important trends and data points from across the chapters and volumes of SEI and (2) to introduce readers to the data resources available in the main volumes of SEI 2008 and associated products.
- Recent SEI Companions
- 2004: An Emerging and Critical Problem of the Science and Engineering Labor Force
- 2006: America's Pressing Challenge — Building a Stronger Foundation
- 2008: Research and Development: Essential Foundation for U.S. Competitiveness in a Global Economy
- 2010: Globalization of Science and Engineering Research
Other publications/reports
- International Science and Engineering Partnerships: A Priority for U.S. Foreign Policy and Our Nation's Innovation Enterprise
- National Action Plan for Addressing the Critical Needs of the U.S. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education System
- Moving Forward to Improve Engineering Education
- The Science and Engineering Workforce: Realizing America's Potential
- International Science and Engineering Partnerships: A Priority of U.S. Foreign Policy and Our Nation's Innovation Enterprise
- Additional NSB Publications
National Science Board approved NSF projects
Depending on the size of the proposed award, the Board will review funding of major facilities and projects. The following is a non-comprehensive list of the types of large-scale projects the Board has reviewed and approved:
- ODP (Integrated Ocean Drilling Program)
- TCS (Terascale Computing System) at the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center
- LIGO Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory
- ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter Array)
- HIAPER (High-Performance Instrumented Airborne Platform for Environmental Research)
- LHC (Large Hadron Collider)
- NEES (George E. Brown, Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation)
- NEON (National Ecological Observatory Network)
- Polar Cap Observatory
Honors
The NSB sponsors national honorary awards:
Vannevar Bush Award - established by the board in 1980, awarded to senior scientists for public service in science and technology;
NSB Public Service Award - established by the board in 1996, presented to one or more individuals, or to a company, corporation or organization, in recognition of their contributions to increasing public understanding of science or engineering.
List of Public Service Awardees
See also
- American Association for the Advancement of Science
- National Science Foundation
- Office of Science and Technology Policy
References
- ^ (42 U.S.C. Section 1863) SEC. 4.(j)(2)
- ^ (42 U.S.C. Section 1863) SEC. 4.(j)(1)
- ^ http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/42/usc_sec_42_00001861----000-.html
- ^ http://nsf.gov/nsb/members/terms.jsp
- ^ http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/uscode42/usc_sec_42_00001865----000-.html
- ^ http://nsf.gov/nsb/committees/index.jsp
- ^ http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/meetings/2009/0824/index.jsp
- ^ Sustainable Energy Full Report (PDF)
- ^ Cost Sharing Full Report (PDF)
- ^ National Science Board STEM Education Recommendations to the new Administration
- ^ http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind08/front/about.htm
- ^ http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/usc_sec_42_00001863----000-.html
External links
Categories:- National Science Foundation
- Committees
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