News Release 06-140
NSF Announces Goals, Priorities for Next Five Years
October 2, 2006
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 Telephone numbers or other contact information may be out of date; please see current contact information at media contacts.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 Foundation today released its strategic plan to guide the agency's priorities and investments for the next five years.
The plan, titled Investing in America's Future, reflects months of discussion with the research and education community and others. It is the first to be published under NSF's current leaders, and will influence the agency's FY 2008 budget request.
"Strategic planning is important for every federal agency, because it helps ensure that public funds are well spent," said NSF Deputy Director Kathie L. Olsen. "Taxpayers can be confident that we have thought carefully about giving them their money's worth. This strategic plan keeps us focused on specific goals and outcomes for the next five years.
The new plan identifies four (outcome-based) goals: discovery, learning, research infrastructure and stewardship. Each is linked to specific investment priorities, and emphasizes actual results, or outcomes. All four goals are important, but one of them--stewardship--underpins the others.
"NSF resources belong to the public, and to the research and education community," said Olsen. "In order to be good stewards, we need strong partners and collaborators, the broadest possible participation, and highly qualified staff and reviewers. This strategic plan strongly commits to those goals."
Broad participation was also emphasized during the creation of the plan itself. NSF received hundreds of comments from colleges, universities, professional societies and members of the public during the plan's development. NSF also integrated input from its advisory committees, the National Science Board and NSF staff.
NSF has developed long-range plans for many years, but started developing formal "strategic plans" after the passage of the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993. NSF's previous strategic plan was published in 2003.
In releasing the plan, NSF Director Arden L. Bement, Jr., emphasized NSF's role in long-term competitive strength. "The strategies we will follow...demonstrate NSF's continued leadership, in keeping with the President's American Competitiveness Initiative, in shaping the science and engineering landscape into the future," he said.
-NSF-
Media Contacts
Mary E. Hanson, NSF, (703) 292-7738, email: mhanson@nsf.gov
Program Contacts
Craig R. Robinson, NSF, (703) 292-4292, email: crobinso@nsf.gov
Related Websites
Investing in America's Future: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2006/nsf0648/nsf0648.jsp
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