News Release 04-149
President Bush Appoints Arden Bement as NSF Director
November 29, 2004
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 Telephone numbers or other contact information may be out of date; please see current contact information at media contacts.
Arlington, Va.—President Bush on Nov. 24 officially appointed Arden L. Bement, Jr., as the 12th director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), the independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across nearly all fields of science and engineering.
Bement has been NSF's acting director since Feb. 22, 2004. For the time he was acting NSF director, he also held the position of Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) within the U.S. Department of Commerce. He was appointed NIST director in 2001.
President Bush nominated Bement in September, 2004, to become the NSF director. The Senate confirmed Bement on Nov. 20. As NSF director, Bement's term is for six years. His appointment coincides with his resignation as director of NIST.
Bement's career spans nearly 40 years in industry, government and academia. He served on the National Science Board (NSB), the 24-member policy body for NSF and advisor to the president and Congress on science and engineering issues, from 1989-95. As NSF director, Bement will now serve as an ex officio member of the NSB.
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For more information about the responsibilities of the NSF director, and a biographical sketch, see: http://www.nsf.gov/od/
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William C. Noxon, NSF, (703) 292-8070, email: wnoxon@nsf.gov
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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