National Science Foundation
CURRENT ISSUES
Dr. Mary E. Clutter
April 7, 2005
National Science Foundation
Current Issues
• Budget
• Increasing success rate while maintaining average
annual award size ($171 K)
• Rebuilding core disciplinary research
• Broadening participation
• Cyberinfrastructure investments
National Science Foundation
INPUTS
OUTPUTS
Award Size & Duration
Funding Rate
Research
Opportunities
S&E Workforce
Challenges
FY
2007
Budget
Needs: Tools
Broadening
Participation
Staffing, IT Infrastructure
Balance
National Science Foundation
Current Issues
• Budget
• Increasing success rate while maintaining average
annual award size ($171 K)
• Rebuilding core disciplinary research
• Broadening participation
• Cyberinfrastructure investments
National Science Foundation
NSF Funding Rate for Competitive Research Grants
35,000
100%
90%
30,000
80%
25,000
70%
N
u 20,000
m
b
e 15,000
r
60%
10,000
30%
50%
40%
20%
5,000
10%
0
0%
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Competitive Proposal Actions
Competitive Awards
Funding Rate
P
e
r
c
e
n
t
National Science Foundation
BIO Funding Rate for Competitive Research Grants
6,000
100%
90%
5,000
80%
70%
4,000
N
u
m
3,000
b
e
r
2,000
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
1,000
10%
0
0%
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Competitive Proposal Actions
Competitive Awards
Funding Rate
P
e
r
c
e
n
t
National Science Foundation
Current Issues
• Budget
• Increasing success rate while maintaining average
annual award size ($171 K)
• Rebuilding core disciplinary research
• Broadening participation
• Cyberinfrastructure investments
National Science Foundation
Budget Parameters
Percent of Total NSF Funding
NSB
Guidance
People
Ideas
–
Centers
Tools
Org. Exc.
n/a
n/a
8 - 12%
22 - 27%
5 - 7%
FY 2005
Enacted
19%
50%
6%
26%
5%
FY 2006
Request
17%
49%
6%
27%
6%
$4,500
$4,000
Dollars in Millions
National Science Foundation
$5,000
Funding for NSF Centers and Tools
as a Portion of R&RA
FY 1995 – FY 2006
$3,500
$3,000
$2,500
$2,000
$1,500
$1,000
$500
$0
Centers
R&RA Tools
Other R&RA
$700
$600
$500
$400
$300
$200
$100
R&RA Tools
Other R&RA
es
t
Re
qu
CP
20
06
Centers
20
05
al
Ac
tu
20
04
20
03
20
02
20
01
20
00
19
99
19
98
19
97
19
96
$0
19
95
National Science Foundation
Dollars in Millions
Funding for BIO Centers and Tools
as a Portion of R&RA
FY 1995 – FY 2006
National Science Foundation
Current Issues
• Budget
• Increasing success rate while maintaining average
annual award size ($171 K)
• Rebuilding core disciplinary research
• Broadening participation
• Cyberinfrastructure investments
National Science Foundation
Broadening Participation
• Impact of NSF Activities?
– Criterion 2 (Broader Impacts)
– Increasing numbers of underrepresented
groups
National Science Foundation
Current Issues
• Budget
• Increasing success rate while maintaining average
annual award size ($171 K)
• Rebuilding core disciplinary research
• Broadening participation
• Cyberinfrastructure investments
National Science Foundation
Cyberinfrastructure Funding
NSF Cyberinfrastructure
Funding
(Dollars in Millions)
(Dollars in Millions)
FY 2004 FY 2005 FY 2006
Actual Enacted Request
70.00 77.00 84.00
Biological Sciences
Computer and Information Science and Engineering 141.13 168.60 181.56
45.00 52.00 52.00
Engineering
67.50 71.35 77.35
Geosciences
21.20 37.40 51.20
Mathematical and Physical Sciences
20.40 20.39 20.54
Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences
1.00
1.00
1.40
Office of International Science and Engineering
25.00 25.00 26.50
Office of Polar Programs
391.63 452.74 494.15
Subtotal, Research and Related Activities
18.00 20.40 15.00
Education and Human Resources
$409.62 $473.14 $509.15
Total, Cyberinfrastructure Funding
Totals may not add due to rounding.
Change over
FY 2005
Amount Percent
7.00 9.1%
12.96 7.7%
0.00 0.0%
6.00 8.4%
13.80 36.9%
0.15 0.7%
0.00 0.0%
1.50 6.0%
41.41 9.1%
-5.40 -26.5%
$36.01 7.6%