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Media Advisory 16-007

Vannevar Bush, Public Service and Waterman awardees to present research at National Science Board meeting

Leaders in inclusion, ocean education and chemistry will discuss their work and be available for media inquiries on May 5th

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Sea Education Association helps prepare environmentally literate leaders of the future.


May 4, 2016

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 Telephone numbers or other contact information may be out of date; please see current contact information at media contacts.

What:

The winners of the National Science Board's (NSB) Vannevar Bush Award and Public Service Award and the winner of the Alan T. Waterman Award will present their work during the NSB meeting on May 5, 2016. Presentations will be open to the public at the National Science Foundation (NSF) in Arlington, Virginia and viewable via a live webcast.

Who:

Where:

The presentations will take place at the offices of the National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Room 1235. The meeting will also be webcast.

When:

The awardees will present their work at the Plenary Open Session between 10:55 a.m. and 11:55 a.m. and will be available for comment between 1:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 5. To arrange an interview, please contact Aaron Dubrow (adubrow@nsf.gov). Specific presentation times, webcast link, and other details will be posted on NSB's website and social media pages.

Background:

NSB initiated its Vannevar Bush Award in 1980 in memory of Vannevar Bush, who helped establish federal funding for science and engineering as a national priority and played a pivotal role in the creation of the National Science Foundation.

Robert Birgeneau, this year’s awardee, is chancellor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley and holds the Arnold and Barbara Silverman Distinguished Chair in the Departments of Physics, Materials Science and Engineering and Public Policy.

NSB is recognizing Birgeneau, an internationally distinguished physicist and leader in the academic community, for his exceptional public service and scientific leadership -- including lifelong, high caliber research committed to the public good, tireless advocacy for the nation's research universities and unrelenting efforts to advance equity and inclusion in higher education and science.

The board established the Public Service award in 1996. The annual award recognizes people and groups (e.g., companies, corporations, organizations) that have increased the public's understanding of science or engineering.

SEA, the sole recipient of the Public Service Award this year, began operations in 1971 and is now an internationally recognized leader in undergraduate ocean education. Based in the oceanographic research community of Woods Hole, Massachusetts, SEA equips high school students and undergraduates with tools to become environmentally literate leaders prepared to address the defining issue of the 21st century: human impacts on the environment.

Public Law 94-86 of the 94th Congress established the Waterman Award in 1975 to mark the 25th anniversary of the NSF and to honor its first director, Alan T. Waterman. The annual Alan T. Waterman Award honors an outstanding young U.S. scientist or engineer. The awardee receives a grant of $1 million over five years for scientific research or advanced study in any field of science, plus a medal and other recognition.

Mircea Dincã, a chemistry professor at MIT, demonstrated in his research that metal organic frameworks (MOF) can store electrical energy -- something previously unknown -- resulting in a new class of MOF materials with high surface areas possessing "charge mobility values." One day, they may be used in electrocatalysis for renewable energy applications, such as carbon dioxide and oxygen reduction in fuel cells or electric vehicle fuel storage.

-NSF-

Media Contacts
Aaron Dubrow, NSF, 703-292-4489, email: adubrow@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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