Press Statement - January 23, 1998

Media contact:

Lee Herring

(703) 306-1070

kherring@nsf.gov

Statement by Lawrence Rudolph
General Counsel, National Science Foundation

Regarding the Federal Court's Finding in Kidd vs NSF

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia today denied, in a lawsuit challenging a National Science Foundation (NSF) program that awards graduate research fellowships to underrepresented minorities, the plaintiff's motion for a preliminary injunction. As a result of the Court's decision, NSF will continue the orderly processing of applications for fellowship awards in 1998.

In 1980, the U.S. Congress enacted the Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act, authorizing NSF to undertake a comprehensive program to increase the participation of women and minorities in the science and engineering enterprise. Congress declared that "the highest quality science and engineering over the long-term requires substantial support, from currently available research and educational funds, for increased participation in science and engineering by women and minorities." The program involved in this lawsuit directly responds to NSF's statutory mandate and congressional concerns.

As the Court continues its review of the constitutional issues raised in this lawsuit, NSF remains committed to achieving diversity in the science, mathematics, engineering and technology programs that it supports. The Foundation firmly believes that equal opportunity in the specific area of education is a fundamental prerequisite for achieving full participation in our nation's workforce.