Media Advisory 09-014

Agenda includes presentations on sustainable energy, NSF budget priorities; 2009 NSF and NSB honorary award recipients to present

May 7, 2009

This material is available primarily for archival purposes. Telephone numbers or other contact information may be out of date; please see current contact information at media contacts.

The National Science Board (NSB) will embark on a full agenda at its second of five meetings of the year related to national science and engineering policy issues and the National Science Foundation (NSF) on Wednesday and Thursday, May 13 and 14, 2009. High on the meeting's agenda will be discussions about budget and strategic priorities. The NSB will also welcome the 2009 honorary award recipients.

On Wednesday, May 13, 2009, during the open meeting of the Committee on Programs and Plans from 8:05 a.m. to 12:00 noon, the NSB will first discuss the development of its Task Force on Sustainable Energy's final report (until 8:30 a.m.). Established in October 2007, this task force was charged with examining the role of the U.S. government in addressing science and engineering (S&E) challenges related to the development of sustainable energy, and providing recommendations to the president and Congress regarding a nationally coordinated S&E research and education initiative on sustainable energy, with specific guidance on the role of NSF in this initiative. A draft report was released on April 15, 2009, for review and public comments were accepted until May 1, 2009.

Later in that session, an overview of the Academic Research Infrastructure (ARI) and Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program announcements will be presented.

On May 14, 2009, during the open meeting of the Committee on Strategy and Budget from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., presentations on strategic priorities will be delivered by NSF Director and ex officio NSB Member Arden L. Bement, Jr., Biological Sciences Directorate Assistant Director James Collins and Engineering Directorate Assistant Director Thomas Peterson.

Next, the NSB will hear from 2009 honorary award recipients:

• 11:00 a.m. NSF's Alan T. Waterman Award recipient: Astronomer David Charbonneau of Harvard University
• 11:20 a.m. NSB's Public Service individual Award recipient: Roald Hoffmann of Cornell University
• 11:40 a.m. Mary Kirchhoff, Director of the Education Division of the American Chemical Society, representing NSB's Public Service Award recipient organization Project SEED
• 1:00 p.m. NSB's Vannevar Bush Awardee: Mildred Dresselhaus from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The NSB will celebrate NSF and NSB 2009 honorary award recipients at a black-tie awards dinner held at the State Department on the evening of May 13, 2009.

Visit: http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/meetings/2009/0513/index.jsp for the full meeting agenda.

The NSB is the 25-member policymaking body for NSF and advisor to the president and Congress on science and engineering issues. Drawn from industry and universities, and representing a variety of science and engineering disciplines and geographic areas, NSB members are selected for their eminence in research, education or public service, and records of distinguished service. NSB members serve for six-year terms. The NSF director is an ex officio member of the NSB. The newest members of the NSB were sworn in during the December 2008 meeting. For more background on the NSB and its current composition, visit: http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/about/index.jsp.

Note: Reporters are invited to attend all open sessions, subject to provisions of the Government in the Sunshine Act. All sessions will be held at the NSF headquarters: 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Va. Journalists interested in attending and covering the meeting, awards dinner and/or interviewing NSF or NSB officials and awardees should contact Lisa-Joy Zgorski at 703-292-8311 by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12, 2009, to make arrangements.

-NSF-

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Media Contacts
Lisa-Joy Zgorski, NSF, (703) 292-8311, email: lisajoy@nsf.gov

Program Contacts
Kim L. Silverman, NSF, (703) 292-4515, email: ksilverm@nsf.gov

Related Websites
Full Agenda of May 13-14, 2009 Meeting of National Science Board: http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/meetings/2009/0513/index.jsp
Mildred Dresselhaus to receive 2009 Vannevar Bush Award: http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=114329&org=NSF&from=news
NSF Announces 2009 Alan T. Waterman Award Recipient: http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=114304&org=NSF&from=news
NSB Names Recipients of 2009 Public Service Awards: Roald Hoffmann and ACS Project SEED: http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=114332&org=NSF
NSB Recommends Comprehensive, Coordinated Federal Strategy to Transform U.S. Energy Economy: http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=114501&org=NSF&from=news
National Science Board: http://www.nsf.gov/nsb

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The U.S. National Science Foundation propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. as a global leader in research and innovation. With a fiscal year 2023 budget of $9.5 billion, NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and makes about 11,000 new awards. Those awards include support for cooperative research with industry, Arctic and Antarctic research and operations, and U.S. participation in international scientific efforts.

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