April 3, 2000
For more information on these science news and feature story tips, please
contact the public information officer at the end of each item at (703)
292-8070. Editor: Amber Jones
Contents of this News Tip:
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is seeking to "torque" the link
between fundamental science and engineering discoveries and their use
for innovation through a new program called Partnerships for Innovation.
NSF released the first solicitation for proposals last week, following
a workshop NSF hosted in early March to solicit inputs and to plan for
a larger November workshop.
"This is an effort to formalize connections between knowledge and its
use, to ensure that taxpayer money does work at the frontier--but that
the knowledge generated doesn't lie fallow there," said NSF Deputy Director
Joseph Bordogna. "We want to 'grease the skids,' so to speak. This connection
is made informally now in many of our programs, but we want it to work
better." When the connection works well, the economy benefits, said Bordogna.
This program reflects NSF's draft strategic plan for FY2000-2005, as
approved by the National Science Board in February. This plan defines
NSF's vision as "enabling the nation's future through discovery, learning
and innovation." [Mary Hanson]
For the NSF draft strategic plan, see: http://www.nsf.gov/od/gpra/start.htm
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Terrence Rettig, a planetary astronomer and current NSF program officer,
has received the rare honor of having an asteroid named after him.
Previously known as "1985 GA1," the space rock will now be called "Asteroid
Rettig" in recognition of his work in contributing to a better understanding
of comets and planet formation. As a professor at the University of Notre
Dame, Rettig has been active in programs to provide undergraduate students
with hands-on research in physics and astrophysics. He also is the director
of the Education and Interdisciplinary Research Program in NSF's Physics
Division.
Asteroid Rettig was discovered in 1985 by Ted Bowell of the Lowell Observatory
in Flagstaff, Ariz.
Asteroids are the only celestial bodies that can be named for someone
other than their discoverers, according to the International Astronomical
Union. The IAU, based in Paris, bestows the honor. [Amber Jones]
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In 1998, women earned their largest percentage of research doctoral
degrees in U.S. history, according to a new survey performed for NSF.
A report on the survey, Doctorate Recipients from United States Universities,
shows that women received 41.8 percent of all doctorates granted in the
United States in 1998.
Women earned more doctorates than ever in almost all fields: 62.8 percent
of all doctorates granted in education, 54.2 percent in the social sciences,
48.6 percent in the humanities, 45.4 percent in the life sciences and
41.6 percent in business/professional fields of study. While increases
occurred in the number of degrees granted women in the physical sciences
and engineering, the percentages remained small: 23.7 and 13 percent of
these degrees, respectively, went to women.
The report is based on the Survey of Earned Doctorates conducted for
the NSF and four other federal agencies by the National Opinion Research
Center at the University of Chicago.
[Charles S. Drum]
For more information, see: http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/srs00410/ and http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/nsf00304 Top of Page
NSF is an independent federal agency which supports fundamental research
and education across all fields of science and engineering, with an annual
budget of about $4 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states, through grants
to about 1,600 universities and institutions nationwide. Each year, NSF
receives about 30,000 competitive requests for funding and makes about
10,000 new funding awards.
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