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Last Updated: 03/08/2004

 

More About National Board

The National Science Board oversees NSF as it carries out its statutory responsibility to maintain the health of the Nation’s science and engineering enterprise by funding research in all the basic sciences and engineering. NSF also supports innovative education programs from kindergarten through graduate school, preparing future generations of scientists and engineers and contributing to a more scientifically literate workforce and society.

The Board establishes NSF policies, identifies issues that are critical to NSF’s future, approves NSF’s strategic budget directions, approves annual budget submissions to the Office of Management and Budget, and approves new programs and major awards. The Board analyzes NSF’s budget to ensure progress and consistency along the strategic direction set for NSF and to ensure balance between initiatives and core programs.

In its role as policy advisor to the President and the Congress, the Board initiates and conducts studies on a broad range of policy topics related to science and engineering research and education, presents the results and Board recommendations in reports and policy statements to the President and the Congress, and makes these documents available to the research and educational communities and the general public. On a biennial basis, the Board publishes Science and Engineering Indicators, a detailed examination of the state of science and engineering in the United States.

Through its major policy studies, the Board makes important contributions to the national policy debate on critical issues in science and engineering. Examples include Environmental Science and Engineering for the 21st Century (2000), Toward a More Effective Role for the U.S. Government in International Science and Engineering (2001), Federal Research Resources: A Process for Setting Priorities (2001), Science and Engineering Infrastructure for the 21st Century: The Role of the National Science Foundation (2003), and The Science and Engineering Workforce/Realizing America’s Potential (2003).

The Board is also responsible for several national honorary awards. The Board presents the Vannevar Bush Award to a person who has made outstanding contributions to the national welfare through public accomplishments in science and technology. The Board’s Public Service Award is presented to a person and to a group in recognition of their contribution toward increasing public understanding of science or engineering. The Board also approves the Alan T. Waterman Award, which the NSF Director presents to an outstanding young researcher for support of further research and study.

Members of the National Science Board

The Board is composed of 24 part-time members appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The NSF Director, who is also a presidential appointee confirmed by the Senate, serves on the Board ex officio. The members are selected on the basis of their distinguished service in science and engineering research and education. Board members are chosen to be representative of scientific, engineering, and educational leadership throughout the Nation.

Members are appointed for six-year terms. One-third of the Board is appointed every two years, and no member may serve more than two consecutive terms. The Board Chair and Vice Chair are elected from the membership to serve two-year terms.

How the National Science Board does its work

The Board takes action during regularly scheduled meetings, which usually occur six times a year. In accordance with the Government in the Sunshine Act, meetings of the Board, its committees, subcommittees, and task forces are open to the public, and announcements of forthcoming meetings appear on the Board’s web page and in the Federal Register.

Also in accordance with the Government in the Sunshine Act, discussions of certain topics, such as personnel matters, budget development, NSF awards and agreements, and Board honorary awards, take place in sessions closed to the public. The outcomes of these discussions are usually reported in open sessions, as appropriate.

The Board accomplishes much of its background work through standing and ad hoc committees, subcommittees, task forces, and commissions that are established as needed for specific assignments.

The Executive Committee is the only Board committee established by legislation. By statute, the NSF Director chairs the committee, and four other members are elected from the Board. By custom, the Board’s Chair and Vice Chair are elected as members of the Executive Committee. The committee acts for the Board, if necessary, between Board meetings and in the absence of a Board quorum. The Executive Committee reports annually to the Board.

The Board’s four standing committees are Audit and Oversight, Education and Human Resources, Programs and Plans, and Strategy and Budget. There are two standing subcommittees: the Subcommittee on Science and Engineering Indicators under the Education and Human Resources Committee, and the Subcommittee on Polar Issues under the Committee on Programs and Plans. Ad hoc administrative committees oversee the processes related to honorary awards and nominations for appointment to the National Science Board. Other ad hoc committees and task forces analyze major policy issues to bring before the Board, with recommendations for action.

The Executive Officer, who reports directly to the Board Chair, serves as Director of the National Science Board Office (NSBO). The NSBO is the focal point for coordinating the development and analyses of a broad range of policy-level issues and strategies requiring Board attention and/or action. The NSBO also provides staff support and administers Board operations.


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