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Visit NSF

NSF welcomes thousands of visitors a year. Should you need information not provided below, please contact our Visitor and Reception Center, either by phone at 703-292-5111, or by email, at info@nsf.gov.

GENERAL INFORMATION

The National Science Foundation's street address is 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, Virginia 22314.

NSF has instituted security measures to increase the safety of employees, contractors, and visitors, and to protect its facilities. Sponsoring offices must request visitor badges for incoming visitors, and should notify visitors of NSF procedures, what to expect upon arrival, and what appropriate identification documents are required for registration.

U.S. Code prohibits bringing any dangerous weapons onto Federal property. Security staff will confiscate any suspicious or potentially dangerous materials. Visitors may want to limit extra bags or personal materials in order to minimize required inspection time.

Visitors access NSF via the Visitor Center entry adjacent to the south building entrance on Eisenhower Avenue (see map here). The Visitor Center provides access to the 2nd and 3rd floor Panel Conference Center via an open stairway and dedicated elevators. All visitors who wish to access the building beyond the 3rd floor must be escorted by an NSF employee (staff or contractor) at all times.

Visitors are asked to check at the Reception and Information Center (RIC), on the first floor to receive a visitor pass, before going on to meetings, appointments, or other business at the NSF. Visitors bringing computers into NSF should consult the NSF Computer Security Policy before arriving.

NSF asks visitors with special needs to request necessary accommodations in advance of their arrival.

REQUIRED IDENTIFICATION

Secure driver's licenses and identification documents are a vital component of our national security framework. The REAL ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005, enacted the 9/11 Commission's recommendation that the Federal Government "set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver's licenses." The Act established minimum security standards for license issuance and production and prohibits federal agencies from accepting, for certain purposes, driver's licenses and identification cards from states not meeting the Act's minimum standards. The purposes covered by the Act are: accessing Federal facilities, entering nuclear power plants, and, no sooner than 2016, boarding federally regulated commercial aircraft.

States and other jurisdictions have made significant progress in enhancing the security of their licenses over the last number of years. As a result, approximately 90% of all U.S. drivers hold licenses from jurisdictions: (1) determined to meet the Act's standards; or (2) that have received extensions. Individuals holding driver's licenses or identification cards from these jurisdiction may continue to use them as before.

The non-compliant states' extensions are currently variable. The National Science Foundation is monitoring the official DHS website to ensure we are providing our customers the latest information concerning the Real ID Act. You can research more about the Real ID Act by clicking on the following links:

TRAVEL LINKS

This list of links serves as a center point of links to important information concerning Federal travel. This includes current Per Diem rates, Airfare, Currency Exchange Rates, and other topics of interest for NSF staff and visitors.

Travel Per Diem Rates

Foreign Currency Exchange Rates: Complete On-Line Government Travel Planning

Others

TRAVEL INFORMATION

For detailed directions, choose an arrival point from the list below:

LOCAL MAPS / ATTRACTIONS

LOCAL AREA WEATHER