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Fact Sheet

Science and Technology Centers: Integrative Partnerships


June 11, 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 Telephone numbers or other contact information may be out of date; please see current contact information at media contacts.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 Science and Technology Centers (STC): Integrative Partnerships program supports innovative, potentially transformative, complex research and education projects that require large-scale, long-term awards. The National Science Foundation (NSF) established the program in 1987. STCs conduct world-class research through partnerships among academic institutions, national laboratories, industrial organizations, and/or other public/private entities, and via international collaborations. 

The centers provide a means to undertake important investigations at the interfaces of disciplines as well as fresh approaches within disciplines. STC investments support the NSF vision of advancing discovery, innovation and education beyond the frontiers of current knowledge, and empowering future generations in science and engineering.

STCs enable academic research teams to:

  • Exploit opportunities in science and engineering where the complexity of the research problems or the resources needed to solve them require the advantages of collaborative relationships that can be best provided by campus-based research centers;
  • Involve students, research scientists and engineers in partnerships to enhance the training and employability of professionals with an awareness of potential applications for scientific discoveries;
  • Use long-term, stable funding at a level that encourages risk-taking and ensures a solid foundation for attracting quality undergraduate and graduate students (with special emphasis on women and minorities) into science and technology careers;
  • Facilitate the transfer of knowledge among academia, industry and national laboratories.

There are seventeen active centers across the United States, in fields ranging from adaptive optics to nanobiotechnology. More information on their missions, projects and outreach opportunities can be found on the centers' Web sites, available from the Office of Integrative Activities' STC home page. Five competitions have been held so far, and a sixth is underway.

-NSF-

Media Contacts
Lisa-Joy Zgorski, NSF, (703) 292-8311, email: lzgorski@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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