National Science Foundation - News

The National Science Foundation (NSF) was established as an independent federal agency in 1950 "to promote the progress of science," largely by supporting fundamental (basic) research. To fulfill that mission, NSF today makes more than 10,000 new awards each year by using a time-tested process of merit review. The success of that process is reflected (though only in part) by the number of NSF-supported scientists recognized for their discoveries. NSF is particularly pleased that so More ...

New calculations from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) suggest research and development (R&D) accounted for a substantial share of the resurgence in U.S. economic growth in recent years. Using data from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) annual surveys of government, academic, industry and non-profit R&D expenditures, the bureau determined R&D contributed 6.5 percent to economic growth between 1995 and 2002. Some 40 percent of the nation's productivity and g More ...