National Science Foundation Annual Report 1987

National Science Foundation Annual Report 1987 About the National Science Foundation The National Science Foundation is an is helped by advisers, primarily from independent federal agency created by the scientific community, who serve on the National Science Foundation Act of formal committees or as ad hoc review 1950 (P.L. 81-507). Its aim is to promote ers of proposals. This advisory system, and advance scientific progress in the which focuses on both program direc United States. The idea of such a founda tion and specific proposals, involves tion was an outgrowth of the important more than 59,000 scientists and en contributions made by science and gineers a year NSF staff members who technology during World War II. From are experts in a certain field or area those first days, NSF has had a unique make final award decisions; applicants place in the federal government: it is get verbatim unsigned copies of peer responsible for the overall health of reviews and can appeal those decisions. science and engineering across all Awardees are wholly responsible for disciplines. In contrast, other federal doing their research and preparing the agencies support research focused on specific missions, such as health or ation does not assume responsiblity for defense. The Foundation is also commit such findings or their interpretation. ted to expanding the nation's supply of scientists, engineers, and science * * * * educators. NSF fiands research in all fields of NSF welcomes proposals on behalf of science and engineering. It does this all qualified scientists and engineers through grants and contracts to more and strongly encourages women, mi than 2000 colleges, universities, and norities, and persons with disabilities other research institutions in all parts to compete fully in its programs. of the United States. The Foundation In accordance with federal statutes accounts for about 25 percent of federal and regulations and NSF policies, no support to academic institutions for person on grounds of race, color, age, basic research. sex, national origin, or disability shall NSF receives more than 32,000 pro- be excluded from participation in, de p-osals each year for research, graduate nied the benefits of, or be subject to fellowships, and math/science/engi discrimination under any program or neering education; it makes more than activity receiving financial assistance 15,000 awards. These go to universities, from the National Science Foundation. colleges, academic consortia, nonprofit Facilitation Awards for Handi institutions, and small businesses. The capped Scientists and Engineers (VAU) agency operates no laboratories itself provides funding for special assistance but does support National Research or equipment to enable persons with Centers, certain oceanographic vessels, disabilities (investigators and other and antarctic research stations. The staff, including student research assis Foundation also aids cooperative tants) to work on an NSF project. See research between universities and the FAH announcement or contact the industry and U.S. participation in inter FAJl Coordinator at (202) 357-7456. national scientific efforts. The National Science Foundation has The Foundation is run by apresiden- TDD (Telephonic Device for the Deaf) tially appointed Director and Board of capability, which enables individuals 24 scientists and engineers, as well as with hearing impairment to communi top university and industry ofiHcials. cate with the Division of Personnel and NSF is structured much like a univer Management about NSF programs, em sity, with grant-making divisions for the ployment, or general information. This various disciplines and fields of science number is (202) 357-7492. and engineering. The Foundation's staff National Science Foundation Annual Report 1987 Annual Report for Fiscal Year 1987 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402 Letter of Ti?aiismittal Washington, D.C. DEAR MR PRESIDENT: I have the honor to transmit herewith the Annual Report for Fiscal Year 1987 of the National Science Foundation, for submis sion to the Congress as required by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950. Respectfully, Erich Bloch Director, National Science Foundation The Honorable The President of the United States CONTENTS Director's Statement iv HighUghts 2 Chapter 1: hito the 1990's 22 Chapter 2: Human Resources and Education 2 8 Precollege Education 28 Undergraduate and Graduate Education 33 Other Activities 33 Outreach to the Public 37 Chapter 3: Disciplinary Research 44 Physical Sciences/Mathematics 44 Biological Sciences 47 Geosciences 52 Computer Science 58 Engineering 60 International Activities 64 Small Business Grants 65 Chapter 4: Basic Research: Centers, Groups, and histrumentation 66 New Efforts 66 Other Activities 72 Instrumentation News 78 Chapters: Awards 82 Chapter 6: Operations, Organization, NSF People 88 Chapter 7: Conclusion 96 Appendixes Appendix A. NSF Staff and National Science Board Members (FY 1987) 98 Appendix B. Patents and Financial Report for FY 1987 102 Appendix C. Advisory Committees and Chairpersons for FY 1987 106 NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION III DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT s we look back on 1987 and ahead to the last years of the twentieth century, the most striking feature on the land- .scape of science and engineering is imbalance between the supply and demand for new knowledge. On the one hand, the supply of new knowledge seems unlimited. Super conductivity has captured our imagina tion with the possibility of much more efficient transportation and electrical power systems. Supercomputers and "chaos theory" in mathematics prom ise to help us understand such com plex phenomena as weather patterns, turbulence in fluid systems, and the distribution of biological resources. Biotechnology is already a growing industry driven by basic research in biology and especially in genetics. It is already clear that these sciences will science can help us understand this create continuing revolutions in agri problem in time to solve it before culture and health care. permanent damage is done to the American manufacturing, which is environment. essential to our economic well-being, is beginning to make a comeback as "Increasing the supply of knowledge new materials, robotics, computer- requires solving two serious prob aided engineering design, and other lems. First among them is educa technologies emerge from basic tion ... The second problem is to research and find application. devote the necessary resources to Is this "supply" of new knowledge basic research." enough? Is it even too much? Some critics argue that knowledge is devel Economic competitiveness is oping too rapidly, that we should slow another example. New knowledge down and give our social systems time created through basic research is the to adapt. Yet the demand for new source of new products and manufac knowledge is much greater than the turing processes for the internaLional supply marketplace—and thus the key to Our rapidly developing knowledge maintaining American prosperity and of the effect of chlorofluorocarbons our standard of living. on the ozone layer is a good example: Ozone and economic competitive only intensive use of the most advanced ness are only two current examples of the problems our civilization will face IV NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION in coming decades. We have no way of knowing what new problems will appear tomorrow, or next year But we can be certain that we will need still more knowledge to cope with these problems. In an uncertain world, knowledge—along with the scientists and engineers who produce it—is our most important resource. Increasing the supply of knowledge requires solving two serious prob lems. First among them is education: we must find the ways and the means for our schools to teach all our young people basic concepts in science and mathematics. And many more stu dents—especially women and minorities—must be encouraged to go beyond the basics into preparation for careers in science or engineering. In an increasingly technological world, many more of our leaders in industry, in government, and in academia must have technical training if we are to control events. The second problem is to devote the necessary resources to basic research. We spend about two-tenths of one percent of our GNP on such research—not much, when we con sider its importance. And the fraction has not changed significantly in 20 years, although science and engi neering have become vastly more important. There are no easy solutions to these problems. But the search for solutions deserves our best efforts, and it defines the mission of the National Science Foundation as we move toward the 21st century. Ericb Bloch NSF Director ANNUAL REPORT, FISCAL YEAR 1987 1 Then ye who now on heavenly nectar fare, Come celebrate with me in song the name Of Newton, to the Muses dear; for he Unlocked the hidden treasures of Truth: So richly through his mind had Phoebus cast The radiaace of his divinity, Nearer the god no mortal may approach — Edmund Halley in his preface to Isaac Newton's Principia In 1687, Isaac Newton revolutionized the natural sciences widi the publication of his land mark book, Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, more commonly known as the Principia. Among Newton's achievements in his Principia, written in only 18 months, were mathematical expressions for the laws of motion and gravitational attraction. A new universe of information opened up

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