National Science Foundation Annual Report 1988 About the National Science Foundation

National Science Foundation Annual Report 1988 About the National Science Foundation he National Science Foundation is industry and U.S. participation in from the National Science Foundation. 7 an independent federal agency international scientific efforts. Facilitation Awards for Handi created by the National Science Foun Tbe Foundation is run by a pres capped Scientists and Engineers (FAH) dation Act of 1950 (P.L. 81-507). Its identially appointed Director and provide funding for special assistance aim is to promote and advance Board of 24 scientists and engineers, or equipment to enable persons with scientific progress in tbe United States. as well as top university and industry disabilities (investigators and other The idea of such a foundation was an officials. staff, including student resect rch outgrowth of the important contribu NSF is structured much liize a assistants) to work on an NSF"project. tions made by sctence and technology university, with grant-making divi See the FAH announcement or during World War II. From those first sions for the various disciplines and contact the FAH Coordinator at days, NSP bas had a unique place in fields of science and engineering. The (202) 357-7456. the federal government: it is respon Foundation's staff is helped by advi The National Science Foundation sible for the overall health of science sors, primarily from the scientific com has TDD (Telephonic Device Jor the and engineering across all disciplines. munity, who serve on formal commit Deaf) capability, which enables In contrast, other federal agencies tees or as ad hoc reviewers of propos individuals with hearing impairment support research focused on specific als. This advisory system, which to communicate with the Division of missions, such as health or defense. focuses on both program direction and Personnel and Management about The Foundation is also committed to specific proposals, involves more than NSF programs, employment, or general expanding the nation's supply of 59,000 scientists and engineers a year. informcuion. This number is (202) scientists, engineers, and science NSF staff members who are experts in a 357-7492. educators. certain field or area make final award NSF funds researcb in all fields of decisions; applicants get verbatim science and engineering. It does this unsigned copies of peer revieivs and through grants and contracts to more can appeal those decisions. than 2000 colleges, universities, and Awardees are wholly responsible for other research institutions in all parts doing their research and preparing the of the United States. The Foundation results for publication. Thus the accounts for about 25 percent of Foundation does not assume respon federal suppori to academic institu siblity for such findings or their tions for basic research. interpretation. NSF receives more than 3 7,500 * * ^ * proposals each year for researcb, NSF welcomes proposals on behalf of graduate fellowships, and math/ all qualified scientists and engineers science/engineering education; it and strongly encourages women, makes more than 16,000 awards. minorities, andpersohs with disabili These go to universities, colleges, ties to compete fully in its programs. academic consortia, nonprofit institu In accordance with federal statutes tions, and small businesses. The and regulations and NSF policies, no agency operates no laboratories itself person on grounds of race, color, age, but does suppori National Research sex, national origin, or disability shall Centers, certain oceanographic vessels, be excluded from participation in, and antarctic researcb stations. The denied the benefits of, or be subject to Foundation also aids cooperative discrimination under any program or researcb between universities and activity receiving financial assistance Cover: "Instabilities in Supersonic Flow" (image showing development of instability in a supersonic gas jet). This is from an animated sequence of400 images; the animation was computed in about 15 hours on a CRAY supercomputer at the National Center for Supercomputing Appli cations, tJniversity of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign. Principal investigators: David A. Clarlte, Donna Cox, Philip E. Hardee, Michael L. Norman National Science Foundation Annual Report 1988 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402 Letter of Transmittal Washington, D.C. DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: I have the honor to transmit here with the Annual Report for Fiscal Year 1988 of the National Science Founda tion, for submission to the Congress as required by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950. Respectfully, Director, National Science Foundation ne Honorable The President of the United States CONTENTS Director's Statement IV Highlights 2 Chapter 1: Introduction 13 Chapter 2: People: The Urgent Need 14 Chapter 3: Instrumentation and Equipment 24 Chapter 4: Recent Initiatives 31 Chapter 5: Awards/ Organizational News 38 Chapter 6: Conclusion 47 Appendixes 48 Appendix A. NSF Senior Staff and National Science Board Members (FY 1988) 48 Appendix B. Patents and Financial Report for FY 1988 49 NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Director's Statement he end of 1988 is also the The Administration's five-year Because demographic trends JL end of the Reagan Adminis doubling strategy was reaffirmed demand it, we will renew our tration. This has been a period of in January 1988, and this time we efforts to attract larger numbers of growth for NSF, one in which new were able to achieve tangible women and minority-group missions have been accepted and results. In late 1988, with strong individuals to science and engi integrated with traditional activities bipartisan support in both House neering. Women and minorities and a basis laid for further devel and Senate, the Congress passed a must be recruited more success opment. The new Administration five-year authorization bill for NSF, fully if we are to have the people will enter office already committed and it was signed into law by we need in science and engineer to improving American research President Reagan. This multi-year ing. This is absolutely crucial. and education in science and engi authorization — the first such au Our FY 1989 bill also contains neering, and NSF is ready. thorization the Foundation lias an authorization to establish a pro- Congressional action in 1988 ever had — will p: muc grami d to help 11 odernii was especially important for NSF. firmer basis for planning than has the nation's academic research Early in 1987 the Administration been available before. Congres facilities. In response to this, NSF had asked Congress to double the sional endorsement of specific has begun to explore the roles and NSF budget over the succeeding future budget targets will make it responsibilities of the various five years. This was unprece easier to defend the Foundation's parties involved in the support of dented. It recognized the impor appropriations request in each of research facilities. tance of science and engineering the next several years. In addition to a new Administra to economic competitiveness, and NSF's appropriation increase for tion, 1989 will see important especially the importance of 1989 was almost 10 percent — a changes in Congressional leader university basic research. But it very good result in a year when ship. There will be new chairs of was also a hard thing to ask of domestic programs were limited to both the House and Senate appro Congress in a time of financial 2 percent overall. We will be able priations subcommittees respon constraints. After the stock market to strengthen the basic disciplinary sible for NSF. But in spite of these collapse of October 1987 forced a programs and also move ahead shifts, support for basic research is budget "summit" between Con with major initiatives. likely to remain stable and strong. gress and the Administration, All Foundation activities are Leaders in both parties have NSF's appropriation for 1988 doing well. Our education pro recognized the economic impor showed little real gain. grams are growing vigorously, tance of science and engineering with excellent support from the and appear prepared to put Administration and both parties in increasing resources behind our Congress. Science and technology efforts. centers* will become a reality in 1989, with normal review in the annual budget competition. We expect to fund 11 of these centers in 1989, with total first-year fund ing of about $25 million. See Chapter 4. IV NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Priorities need to be set among competing research projects. And we must enhance industry-univer sity relationships to improve the transfer of knowledge. All these problems require action. But at NSF, we have a strategy in place and are starting to get results. We will be able to do our part in solving these problems. That is a good position to be in as we look to the challenges of the new Administration. Erich Bloch NSF Director The nation needs to do much better in many areas. Education is a particular challenge. Industrial support of basic research is inade quate, and industrial application of new knowledge is insufficiently aggressive. The Federal research and development (R&D) budget needs a better balance between development and basic research. Highlights radiation. Still, the high temperatures Global Change seemed to fit a disturbing pattern to some observers. The 1980's have so The greenhouse effect. Those were far included the four hottest years of the buzzwords heard on the news, in the past centuiy. Moreover, the Congress, and in daily conversation earth's temperature has risen nearly as a wave of blistering heat and an one degtL-e in the past 30 years, unrelenting drought swept across the leaving the [)lanet vs'armcr today than United States m the summer of 1988, at any time since measurements began In the Mid\\'est cornstalks shrivelled, 130 years ago. Even so, many scien and parts of the Mississippi River tists caution that all of this could be became a wading pool.

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