The Strategic Plan of the National Science Board highlights the promise and opportunity for science and engineering in the 21st century: "If in the 20^th century science and technology moved to the center of the stage, in the 21st century they will command it. Quality of life will depend in large measure on the generation of new wealth, on safeguarding the health of our planet, and on opportunities for enlightenment and individual development. The contributions of research and education in science and engineering make possible advances in all these areas." (National Science Board 1998 [http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsb98215]).

			Ecological services are essential to humanity, but their dimensions and values are inadequately understood. (See Box 1)

Within the broad portfolio of science and engineering for the new century, the environment is emerging as a vigorous, essential, and central focus. New discoveries have revealed unappreciated linkages between the environment and human health, prosperity and well-being (Boxes 1 and 2). At the same time that connections between humans and the goods and services provided by the ecosystems of Earth become better understood, the scale and rate of modifications to these ecosystems is increasing (Box 3). Ongoing alterations to the biology, chemistry and in some cases physical structure of the land, air, and water of the planet will present formidable challenges in the years to come (Box 4).

Meeting these challenges will require significant scientific and technological advances, rapid communication of new understanding to the private and public sectors, and an informed electorate demanding and capable of utilizing new knowledge. An improved understanding of the dynamics of complex systems, especially complex biological systems, will be essential (Box 5). New opportunities for environmentally benign technologies will expand rapidly due to multiple developments that have come to fruition as a result of past investment in very diverse areas of scientific research (Box 6). New advances in information sciences, biotechnology, materials science and social science will enable formerly impossible imaging, analyzing, modeling, engineering and decision-making opportunities (Boxes 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11). Increased awareness of the importance of intact, functioning ecological and social systems will stimulate new requests by citizens and policy-makers for timely, credible information about environmental changes. In short, advances in environmental research, education and scientific assessment are key to realizing significant improvements in human health, prosperity and well being in the next century.

Environmental science and engineering are broadly interdisciplinary, drawing upon, integrating and invigorating virtually all fields of science and engineering. In addition to new disciplinary areas of investigation, new interdisciplinary interfaces will drive significant advances. These interdisciplinary perspectives will characterize not only the research enterprise, but educational and scientific assessment approaches as well. Moreover, large spatial and long temporal scales are required to understand adequately many environmental phenomena. This diverse and comprehensive nature of scientific environmental activities poses particular challenges to ensure quality, integration, and continuity across disciplines, over space and through time.

The National Science Foundation, other Federal agencies and interagency coordinating bodies such as the Committee on Environment and National Resources (CENR) of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) are responding to the need for research, education and scientific assessment activities in many environmental areas. However, the magnitude of the challenges and the timeliness of opportunities indicate that a whole new level of integrated activities and programs will be required in the near future (see, for example, PCAST 1998) Meeting this challenge will require (1) significant new scientific advances, (2) improved public understanding of environmental topics, (3) more effective communication of new knowledge and (4) incorporation of new knowledge into policies and practices. NSF has significant responsibilities in the first three of these areas.

Because of its mission and track record, NSF is poised to provide leadership. NSF can provide the fundamental understanding of the complexity of the Earth's environmental envelope and its human interactions through discovery, focused education and training, information dissemination, and scientific assessments. This role is consistent with NSF's mission – "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure national defense..." (NSF Act of 1950).

As part of its ongoing responsibilities for oversight of the National Science Foundation, the National Science Board posed the question: What should the environmental portfolio of the Foundation look like, within the context of the larger Federal agency suite of activities, in order to provide and communicate the knowledge required to respond to current and future environmental challenges? The Board focused on the overall level, the balance, and the organization of the environmental activities of the Foundation. Its findings are summarized in this report, beginning with a description of the goals to be accomplished, a summary of current and anticipated activities within the Foundation, a review of suggestions and information received by the Board during its review, and concluding with findings and recommendations.

Goals for NSF's Environmental Portfolio

Within the context of the family of federal agencies, the following goals should guide the design and implementation of the Foundation's environmental portfolio:

• Discovery across the fields of science and engineering to elucidate the processes and interactions among the atmosphere, biosphere, cryosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and socio-economic systems, thereby providing an integrated understanding of the natural status and dynamics of, and the anthropogenic influences on, the Earth's environmental envelope.

• Education and training that enhance scientific and technological capacity associated with the environment, across both the formal and informal educational enterprise; and

• Effective integration and dissemination of research results to multiple audiences, including scientific, public, and policy audiences, and the private sector, via credible scientific assessments of broad environmental phenomena and the transfer of technological knowledge.

Achieving these goals will require a combination of physical, technological, and information infrastructure, and partnerships:

• Facilities, instrumentation, and other infrastructure that enable discovery, including the study of processes and interactions that occur over long time scales;

• Research to develop innovative technologies and approaches that assist the Nation in conserving and wisely utilizing its environmental assets and services;

• Mechanisms and infrastructure to synthesize and aggregate scientific environmental information and to provide open access to these informational materials; and

• Partnerships with other federal agencies, state and local governments, the private sector and other nations to advance knowledge, understanding and solutions.

With these goals and enabling infrastructural needs in mind, the Board undertook an analysis of current and anticipated environmental activities within the Foundation.