The National Science Foundation's (NSF’s) Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) has three goals: to enable the United States to hold a position of world leadership in computing, communications, and information science and engineering; to promote understanding of the principles and uses of advanced computing, communications, and information systems in service to society; and to contribute to universal, transparent, and affordable participation in an information-based society.

To achieve these goals, the CISE Directorate supports investigator-initiated research in all areas of computer and information science and engineering; helps develop and maintain cutting-edge national computing and information infrastructure for science and engineering research and education in general; and contributes to the education and training of the next generation of computer scientists and engineers.

The research and education activities in which the CISE Directorate directs or participates in are organized into two crosscutting categories and four subdisciplinary divisions:

• NSF Priority Areas
• CISE Emphases for FY 2004
• Division of Computing and Communication Foundations (CCF)
• Division of Computer and Network Systems (CNS)
• Division of Information and Intelligent Systems (IIS)
• Division of Shared Cyberinfrastructure (SCI)