Summer Scholars Internship Program List of NSF Acronyms

Within your fist week of living and working in the D.C. area you may notice that a lot of people speak in acronyms.  This is especially so at the National Science Foundation, or NSF.   Below is a list of acronyms that are common in the NSF culture.  Do not worry if it takes a long time to sort out.  Ask questions whenever you do not understand what someone is talking about.  See the full list of acronyms used with in the NSF on the Internal Website accessed from with in the NSF.

NSF ORGANIZATION

• Directorates

BIO Directorate for Biological Sciences
CISE Directorate for Computer & Information Science & Engineering
EHR Directorate for Education & Human Resources
ENG Directorate for Engineering
GEO Directorate for Geosciences
MPS Directorate for Mathematical & Physical Sciences
SBE Directorate for Social, Behavioral, & Economic Sciences
BFA Office of Budget, Finance, & Award Management
IRM Office of Information & Resource Management
O/D Office of the Director

• Division/Directorate/Division Name

  ASC CISE Division of Advanced Scientific Computing
  AST MPS Division of Astronomical Sciences
  ATM GEO Division of Atmospheric Sciences
  BCS ENG Division of Biological & Critical Systems
  BD BFA Division of Budget
  BIR BIO Division of Instrumentation & Resources
  CCR CISE Division of Computer & Computation Research
  CDA CISE Office of Cross Disciplinary Activities
  CHEM MPS Division of Chemistry
  DAS IRM Division of Administrative Services
  DBS SBE Division of Behavioral & Cognitive Science
  DDM ENG Division of Design & Manufacturing Systems
  DEB BIO Division of Environmental Biology
  DFM BFA Division of Financial Management
  DGC BFA Division of Grants & Contracts
  DHRD EHR Division of Human Resource Development
  DIS IRM Division of Information Systems
  DMR MPS Division of Materials Research
  DMS MPS Division of Mathematical Sciences
  DPP GEO Division of Polar Programs
  DUE EHR Division of Undergraduate Education
  EAR GEO Division of Earth Sciences
  ECS ENG Division of Electrical & Communications Systems
  EECD ENG Division of Engineering Education & Centers
  EOA O/D Office of Equal Opportunity Activities
  ESI EHR Division of Elementary, Secondary & Informal Education
  GERD EHR Division of Graduate Education & Research Development
  HRM IRM Division of Human Resource Management
  IBN BIO Division of Integrative Biology & Neuroscience
  III ENG Division of Industrial Innovation & Interface
  INT SBE Division of International Programs
  IRI CISE Division of Information, Robotics, & Intelligent Systems
  MCB BIO Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences
  MIPS CISE Division of Microelectronic Information Processing Systems
  MSS ENG Division of Mechanical & Structural Systems
  NCR CISE Division of Networking & Communications Research & Infrastructure
  NSB NSB National Science Board
  OCE GEO Division of Ocean Sciences
  OGC O/D Office of General Counsel
  OIA/O/D Office of Integrative Activities
  OIG NSB Office of the Inspector General
  OLPA O/D Office of Legislative & Public Affairs
  OPA O/D Office of Planning and Assessment
  OSED EHR Division of Research Evaluation & Dissemination
  OSR EHR Office of Systemic Reform
  OSTI O/D Office of Science & Technology Infrastructure
  PHY MPS Division of Physics
  SES SBE Division of Social & Economic Science
  SRS SBE Division of Science Resource Studies

• Other Federal Agencies

  AFOSR Air Force Office of Scientific Research
  ARO Army Research Office
  CRS Congressional Research Service
  DARPA Defense Advance Research Projects Agency (DOD)
  DOD Department of Defense
  DOE Department of Energy
  ED Department of Education
  EPA Environmental Protection Agency
  FCCSET Federal Coordinating Council for Science, Engineering and Technology
  FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency
  GAO General Accounting Office
  GSA General Services Administration
  NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration
  NIH National Institute of Health
  NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology (formerly National Bureau of Standards)
  OMB Office of Management and Budget
  ONR Office of Naval Research
  OPM Office of Personnel and Management
  OSTP Office of Science and Technology Policy
  OTA Office of Technology Assessment
  USDA U.S. Department of Agriculture