National Science Foundation: An Overview
Excerpted from Congressional Services Report 95-307 SPR
Updated January 24, 2007
Christine M. Matthews
Specialist in Science and Technology Policy
Resources, Science, and Industry Division
Read the full report.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) was created by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended (P.L. 81-507). The NSF has the broad mission of supporting science and engineering in general and funding basic research across many disciplines. The agency provides support for investigator-initiated, merit-reviewed, competitively selected awards, state-of-the-art tools, and instrumentation and facilities. The majority of the research supported by the NSF is conducted at U.S. colleges and universities. Approximately 82.6% ($3,174.9 million) of NSF’s FY2005 $3,844.2 million research and development (R&D) budget was awarded to U.S. colleges and universities. Preliminary data reveal that for FY2005 the NSF provided approximately 60.3% of all federally funded basic research conducted at the nation’s colleges and universities, with the exclusion of biomedical research sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. In addition, NSF provides more than 30% of the total federal support for science and mathematics education.
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Summary
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is the federal agency that supports research and education in all non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health.
Budget
2009 Budget Request and Appropriations
2009 Budget Request
President Bush has released the 2009 budget request for NSF. The NSF's 2009 budget request is $6,854.1 million. Of that amount, $5,593.99 million (81.6%) is dedicated to research and related activities. This is a $777.52 increase over the 2008 estimate.
| NSF funding comparison for 2008 and 2009 (Dollars in Millions) | FY 2008 Estimate | FY 2009 Request | Change over 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research and Related Activities | $4,821.47 | $5,593.99 | $772.52 |
| Education and Human Resources | 725.60 | 790.41 | 64.81 |
| Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction | 220.74 | 147.51 | -73.23 |
| Agency Operations and Award Management | 281.79 | 305.06 | 23.27 |
| National Science Board | 3.97 | 4.03 | 0.06 |
| Office of Inspector General | 11.43 | 13.10 | 1.67 |
| Rescission required under PL 110-161 | -33.00 | --- | 33.00 |
| Total NSF Budget | 6,032.00 | 6,8540.10 | 822.10 |
2009 Budget Breakdown by Program Area
- Biological Sciences
- $675.06 million has been requested. This is a $63.04 million increase over the 2008 estimate.
- Computer and Information Science and Engineering
- $638.76 million has been requested. This is an $104.23 million increase over the 2008 estimate.
- Engineering
- $759.33 million has been requested. This is an $122.46 million increase over the 2008 estimate.
- Geosciences
- $848.67 million has been requested. This is a $96.01 million incrase over the 2008 estimate.
- Mathematical and Physical Sciences
- $1.40 billion has been requested. This is a $235.36 million increase over the 2008 estimate.
- Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences
- $233.48 million has been requested. This is a $18.35 million increase over the 2008 estimate.
- Other Programs
- $1,036.02 million has been requested for all other programs and offices. This is a $133.07 increase over the 2008 estimate.
