National Science Foundation
United States government agency / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health. With an annual budget of about $8.3 billion (fiscal year 2020), the NSF funds approximately 25% of all federally supported basic research conducted by the United States' colleges and universities.[4] In some fields, such as mathematics, computer science, economics, and the social sciences, the NSF is the major source of federal backing.
Seal of the National Science Foundation | |
 Flag of the National Science Foundation | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | May 10, 1950; 73 years ago (1950-05-10) |
| Headquarters | Alexandria, Virginia, U.S.[1] |
| Motto | Where Discoveries Begin[2] |
| Employees | 1700 |
| Annual budget | $8.28 billion for 2020[3] |
| Agency executives |
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| Website | www |
The NSF's director and deputy director are appointed by the president of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate, whereas the 24 president-appointed members of the National Science Board (NSB)[5] do not require Senate confirmation. The director and deputy director are responsible for administration, planning, budgeting and day-to-day operations of the foundation, while the NSB meets six times a year to establish its overall policies. The current NSF director is Sethuraman Panchanathan.