DOCUMENT RESUME LE 271 326 SE 046 682 TITLE National Science Foundation - Annual Report 1985. Thirty-Fifth Annual Report for Fiscal Year 1985. INSTITUTION National Science Foundation, Washington, D.C. REPORT NO NSF-86-1 PUB DATE 85 NOTE 75p. AVAILABLE FROM Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. PUB TYPE Reports General (140) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC03 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTOkS Annual Reports; Awards; College Science; Computers; Engineering Education; *Federal Programs; *Foundation Programs; Higher Education; Policy; *Program Descriptions; Research and Development Centers; Research Projects; Science Education; *Scientific Research IDENTIFIERS *National Science Board; *National Science Foundation ABSTRACT The 35th Annual Report of the National Science Foundation (NSF) describes recent achievements of NSF sponsored research in viral structure, semiconductors, genetic engineering, Mayan culture, astronomy, physiology, paleontology, robotics, physics, material science and pollution. Major 1985 initiatives included: (1) establishing six university Engineering Research Centers; (2) four Supercomputer Centers; (3) College Science Instrumentation Program; (4) Precollege Science Education Programs; (5) National Science Week; (6) Presidential Young Investigator Awards; (7) Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee; (8) Office of Biotechnology Coordination; (9) increased mathematics support by 15 percent; and (1) procedures for reporting on science in other countries. Reviewed are several examples of cutting-edge research and educational activities, including special interdisciplinary research and educational communities. The report includes awards, notes senior staff appointments, presents organizational changes, provides policy notes and lists senior foundation and board officials. Future directions for support of research are explored. Appendixes include: (1) National Science Board Members and NSF staff; (2) financial report for fiscal year 1985; (3) patents and inventions resulting from NSF supported activities; and (4) Advisory Committee for fiscal year 1985. (JM) *********************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * *********************************************************************** National Science Foundation Annual Report 1985 Thirty-Fifth Annual Report for Fiscal Year 1985 For sale br the Superintendent of Documents, LI S Governmeni Printing (Vice, Washington, I) C 20402 About the National Science Foundation The National Science Foundation is universit:es and industry and U S an independent federal agency participatton in international scientific created by the National Science efforts. Foundation Act of 1950 (PL 81-507) NSF is structured much like a Its aim is to promote and advance university, with grant-making divisions scientific progress in the United States for the various disciplines and fields of The idea of such a foundation was an science and engineering The outgrowth of the important Foundation's staff is helped by contributions made by science and advisors, primarily from the scientific technology during World War II From community, who serve on formal those first days, NSF has had a unique committees or as ad hoc reviewers of place in the federal government. It is research proposals. This advisory responsible for the overall health of system, which focuses on both science across all disciplines In program direction and specific contrast, other agencies support proposals, involves more than 50,000 research focused on specific missions scientists and engineers a year. NSF NSF funds research in all fields of staff members who are experts in a science and engineering. It does this certain field or area make final award through grants and contracts to more decisions, applicants get verbatim than 2,000 colleges, universities, and unsigned copies of peer reviews and other research institutions in all parts can appeal those decisions. of the United States The Foundation Awardees are wholly responsible for accounts for about 28 percent of doing their research and preparing the federal support to academic results for publicatim Thus the institutions for basic research Foundation does not assume NSF receives more than 27,000 responsibility for such findings or proposals each year for research and their interpretation graduate fellowships and makes more NSF welcomes proposals on behalf than 12,000 awards These go to of all qualified scientists and engineers universities, colleges, academic and strongly encourages women, consortia, nonprofit institutions, and minorities, and the handicapped to small businesses The agency operates compete fully in its programs. no laboratories itself but does support National Research Centers, certain oceanographic vessels, and Antarctic research stations The Foundation also aids cooperative research between 4 il NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Letter of Transmittal Washington, D.0 DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: I have the honor to transmit herewith the Annual Report for Fiscal Year 1985 of the National Science Foundation, for submission, to the Congress as required by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950. Respectfull).; Erich Bloch [bream',Vanonal Suence toundanon /he Honorable The Press( lent of the t puled State NATIONAI F FOUNDATION Cover Fractal patterns generated by simple mathematical expressions (photo by Robert L Devaney, Boston Unit,ersity) 13 IV NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION An Ongoing Commitment to Excellence Contents Director's Statement Chapter 3 1 A 35-Year Report 38 Operations Report 38NSF Awards: People Who Met the Challenges Special Section Vannevar Bush Award 2 Recent Achievements Supported by NSF Alan T. Waterman Award 39Senior Staff Appointments in FY 1985 Chapter 1 39Organizational Changes 12 Meeting the Challenges 40Policy Notes Major 1985 Initiatives 41 Senior Foundation and Board Officials 16Special Focus on Supercomputer Centers 20Special Focus on Engineering Research Centers Chapter 4 42 Moving Ahead Chapter 2 24 Basic Research and Education Appendixes The Historic Responsibility 45 Appendix A. National Science Board Members 24Materials Research Groups and NSF Staff (FY 1985) Middle-Sized Science for Big Problems 47 Appendix B. Financial Report for FY 1985 27Chemistry of Life Processes 50 Appendix C. Patents and Inventions Resulting Chemical Methods for Biological Problems from Activities Supported by the National 28Ocean Drilling and the Continental Lithosphere Science Foundation Program 51 Appendix D. Advisory Committee for FY 1985 30The Very Long Baseline Array A 5,000-Mile Radio Telescope 32Molecular and Cellular Biosciences How Cells Know What to Do 33Behavioral and Neural Sciences How a Rabies Virus Works 34Science and Engineering Education 36Special Research Communities Cutting Across Disciplinary Boundaries NATIONAL SCIENCE. FOUNDATION V Directors Statement Fiscal \ear 1985 marked the erosion of their home markets, and National Science Foundations they have difficultcompeting in 35th year of operationsyears that saw foreign markets Our traditional the Foundation grow from an agency trading partners are more competitive with a few research programs to one in an economic and research sense, supporting an increasingh broad and challenges are arising from the range of activities in science and newly industrialized countries engineering research and education Suddenly ow industries must he Our mission has alwas been concerned with global competitiveness challenging we are the only federal if they want to survive agency charged with promoting general scientific progress, rather than Key Themes and Initiatives a specific area such as space, health, or In th., new world the National agriculture But the way we carry out Science Foundation has a greatly that broad charge is very different enh iced role to play Three themes today from what it was in the 1950s now dominate our programs. In fact, the contrast between then Continuing support for the best and nov is dramatic Today for faire attitudes of the post-World War II research in every field While em- example, we must be more vigilant years, to a frenzy of activity in the phasis and attention may shift from than ever before about supporting the decade after the Sputnik launch in one area to another, we need always to basic research required to keep out 1957, and then to a period when we remember that basic research, is economy healthy and competitive assumed that science should he unpredictable, and that core support and our defense and social needs oriented to some extent toward social must he maintained in all areas satisfied as well problems Today we have a more Concern for freeing research Thirty-five years ago we were secure settled view of the place of science from arbitrary limits imposed by in the knowledge that, in most cases, and engineering research and a disciplinary bounds The connections each discipline defined a well clearer understanding of what the between the disciplines have often hounded subject area The linkages federal government should do, what been the least explored, and thus are between the fields were not matters of Industry should do, and what the often the most productive And as we great concern Today we find that states, local governments, and look for the most challenging these neat boundaries are breaking unnersities should do for themselves problems on which to focus our down eNerywhere, and frequently the research, we find that many