NSF Strategic Plan 2022-2026

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NSF Strategic Plan 2022-2026

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U.S. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

2022-2026 STRATEGIC PLAN

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The “Government Performance and Results Act” (GPRA) (Public Law 103-62) and the “GPRA Modernization Act of 2010” (Public
Law 111-352) require federal agencies to develop strategic plans setting forth long-term goals and objectives. Guidance on the
development of agency strategic plans is included in the Office of Management and Budget Circular A-11. These plans form
part of the federal performance framework. “Leading the World in Discovery and Innovation, STEM Talent Development, and
the Delivery of Benefits from Research” updates and replaces “Building the Future: Investing in Discovery and Innovation, NSF
Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years (FY) 2018-2022” (NSF 18-045). It has been prepared by NSF staff, working with the National
Science Board, with input from the science, engineering and education research communities, industry and others.

About the cover: Representation of a “Whispering Gallery” mode resonator detecting single nanoparticles.
Credit: Nano/Micro Photonics Laboratory, Electrical and Systems Engineering Department, Washington University, St. Louis.

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MESSAGE FROM THE NSF DIRECTOR

Strategic investments by the U.S. National Science Foundation are advancing many
industries, tools and products that are fueling economic growth and creating
good-paying jobs throughout the nation and around the world. Today, more
than ever, we are seeing how the power of NSF investments in science and
technology are making deep and meaningful impacts on lives and communities.
From nanotechnology and the internet to additive manufacturing, smartphone
technologies and companies like Qualcomm and Google, NSF investments create
jobs, grow new regional engines of economic development and innovation and
improve the lives of billions of people.
This “2022-2026 Strategic Plan” builds on 70 years of NSF driving critical research
across all fields of S&E and lays out our vision for the future of discovery and
innovation. NSF’s four strategic goals – empower, discover, impact and excel – will
serve as a foundation for ensuring NSF and the nation remain at the forefront of
scientific discovery and technological advancements that change the world.
Today, our society is surrounded by tremendous challenges, and each one is an opportunity that science can address. Climate
change, disaster resilience, equity for all – these are just some of the real-world problems that need to be solved. The past
two years have dramatically underscored the importance of how fundamental research can be coupled with use-inspired
innovations to meet such challenges. And the world will continue to turn to the S&E community for answers.
Because NSF supports the full spectrum of fundamental research, from curiosity-driven to use-inspired, we can foster the
unique, cross-cutting discovery and innovation that is so critical to our nation’s long-term competitiveness. Our investments
will continue to expand our strategic leadership across emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum information
science, next-generation wireless networking, biotechnology and advanced computing.
For example, the new Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) Directorate will enable NSF to focus crossdisciplinary expertise and foster cross-sector partnerships to develop solutions at speed and scale. TIP will build on
successful innovation programs such as the NSF Convergence Accelerator, as well as our world-leading Lab-to-Market
Platform, spanning the NSF Innovation Corps, Partnerships for Innovation, Small Business Innovation Research and Small
Business Technology Transfer programs.
We need groundbreaking discoveries to address grand challenges that continue to shape our lives and these discoveries and
breakthroughs will not be possible without the full power of bright and talented discoverers from every part of the nation. While
NSF has long invested in efforts to broaden participation in STEM, it is more important now than ever to underscore that the
inclusion of all people in STEM is vital to the nation’s health, security and global leadership. We need young inspiring scientists
from every background to be part of a STEM community full of diverse perspectives that can drive the research enterprise to
new breakthroughs and innovations and help solve our most pressing challenges.
With the support of Congress, the administration and the American people, NSF remains at the forefront of science,
engineering and technology. We provide pathways to success for STEM talent to develop the workforce of the future. We
construct facilities needed to support the widest range of science and technology advancements. And we bring together
partners from institutions, agencies and industries to advance the frontiers of research. This enables us to continue
transforming the world for the benefit of all.

Sethuraman Panchanathan
Director, National Science Foundation
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Leading the World in Discovery
and Innovation, STEM Talent
Development and the Delivery of
Benefits from Research
NSF Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2022-2026

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VISION

MISSION

III

BACKGROUND

CORE VALUES

THE DYNAMIC CONTEXT FOR RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

STRATEGIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

VII

AGENCY PRIORITY GOAL

VIII

EXAMPLES OF LONG-TERM PERFORMANCE GOALS

CORE STRATEGIES

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

APPENDICES

A.1

Learning Agenda

A.2

Capacity Assessment

A.3

Contributing Programs

“There is nothing which can better deserve your patronage than the promotion of Science and
Literature. Knowledge is in every country the surest basis of public happiness.”
- George Washington, First Annual Message to Congress on the State of the Union (1790).

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ABOUT NSF
Overview
NSF’s Mission: To promote the progress of science to advance the national health, prosperity and welfare; to secure the
national defense; and for other purposes.
NSF promotes the progress of science by investing in research to expand knowledge in science, engineering and education.
NSF also invests in actions that increase the capacity of the U.S. to conduct and exploit such research.
NSF advances the national health, prosperity, and welfare through the contributions that NSF-funded research
makes. For example, NSF research has made possible many of the technological advances that have improved medicine,
communications, transportation, manufacturing and the utilization of natural resources, together with a broad range of other
impacts on our lives.
NSF’s contributions to securing the national defense includes research in cryptography, cybersecurity, novel materials, advanced
analytics for massive datasets, artificial intelligence, environmental change, quantum information systems and advanced
manufacturing, to name just a few.
The U.S. National Science Foundation advances the frontiers of research; creates pathways to success for students and
researchers; provides research infrastructure and instruments to enable discovery; and encourages learning everywhere.
Since NSF’s inception in 1950, the 2,000 person agency has invested in cutting-edge research and talented people who
explore the unknown, seek to demystify nature and expand the understanding of science and engineering. NSF is committed
to making science accessible and deepening the understanding of science by all Americans.

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ABOUT NSF
NSF’s strategic plan aligns with national priorities such as pandemic response, economic recovery, racial equity, and
addressing climate change. It advances the roadmap laid out in the NSB Vision 2030 report, delivering the benefits from
research, developing STEM talent, expanding the geography of innovation, and leading globally by cultivating a global science
and engineering community based on shared values and strategic cooperation.
To accomplish all of this, NSF is focusing on people as the heart of the research enterprise. Investments in people are the key
to strengthening the Science & Engineering community. NSF pursues the following four strategic goals:

STRATEGIC
GOALS

GOAL 1

GOAL 4

EMPOWER
Empower STEM talent
to fully participate
in science and
engineering

Create new knowledge
about our universe, our
world and ourselves

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EXCEL

GOAL 2

DISCOVER

GOAL 3

Excel at NSF
operations and
management

IMPACT
Benefit society by
translating knowledge
into solutions.

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ABOUT NSF

VISION

A nation that leads the world in science and engineering research and
innovation, to the benefit of all, without barriers to participation.

MISSION

CORE VALUES

To promote the progress of science; to advance the
national health, prosperity and welfare; to secure
the national defense; and for other purposes.

NSF’s strength is scientific leadership. We value diversity and
inclusion, demonstrate integrity and excellence in our devotion to
public service, and prioritize innovation and collaboration in our
support of the work of the scientific community and of each other.

Stakeholder Engagement
Stakeholders took as their starting point the key elements of the NSF 2018-2022 Strategic Plan and provided comments and
suggestions to inform the new plan. In addition to comments from individuals and organizations received through an online
portal, agency officials held discussions with stakeholder groups, including the National Science Board, numerous advisory
committees, academic organizations, professional societies and NSF staff.

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VISION

The NSF Vision: A nation that leads the world in science
and engineering research and innovation, to the benefit
of all, without barriers to participation.
Never have science and technology been more important to the nation. Society is confronted by a growing set of
challenges that call for the insights that science and engineering can provide. Advances in how we learn, work, collaborate
and explore are creating opportunities to greatly increase the rate of discovery and broaden participation in S&E. An
increasingly diverse global research community is enriching the breadth of questions that can be asked and answered. To
both seize these opportunities and address these challenges, NSF will pursue a vision built on three pillars:

Advancing the frontiers of
research and innovation

Ensuring accessibility
and inclusivity

Being a leader in the global
S&E enterprise

These pillars rest on a foundation of people, ideas, partnerships and the translation of fundamental research into benefits
for society. Our vision emphasizes the importance of interweaving innovation in everything we do. It will enable NSF to
strengthen at speed and scale the delivery of its mission to the American people.
For NSF to achieve this vision, requires not only advancing the frontiers of science, engineering and education, but also
ensuring that U.S. research is an inclusive enterprise that harnesses the talent of all sectors of American society – a
research enterprise that incorporates the rich demographic and geographic diversity of the nation.
In the pages that follow, we show how this vision aligns with NSF’s mission, national priorities and the National Science
Board’s Vision 2030 report. We describe the strategic goals, objectives and core strategies that will enable NSF to harness
the fruits of research for the prosperity and well-being of its citizens. And we lay out a compelling vision for investments in
discoveries, discoverers, impacts and excellence.

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MISSION

The NSF Mission: To promote the progress of science; to
advance the national health, prosperity and welfare; to
secure the national defense; and for other purposes.
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent

environmental change, quantum information systems and

federal agency that supports research at the frontiers of

advanced manufacturing, to name but a few.

current knowledge, across all fields of science, engineering
and education. It was established by the NSF Act of 1950
(Public Law 81-507). NSF adopted the purpose of that Act
as its mission: to promote the progress of science; to advance
the national health, prosperity, and welfare; and to secure the
national defense. This has guided NSF’s activities ever since.

NSF’s mission is to enable society to discover more about
the world and universe that we all inhabit, to point the
way to solutions to the challenges that confront us and
to reveal opportunities to translate new knowledge into
improvements in well-being, including strengthening the
U.S. economy by making new technologies possible. By

NSF promotes the progress of science by investing in research

understanding how the world works, how people learn,

to expand knowledge in science, engineering and education,

and how to make new things, we make possible advances

and by investing in actions that increase the capacity of the

in everything from manufacturing and education to food

Nation to conduct and exploit such research.

production and health.

NSF advances the national health, prosperity and welfare

Given its mission to advance all fields of S&E, NSF was

through the contributions that NSF-funded research

uniquely positioned to have a massive impact on our

makes to the well-being of the Nation. NSF research has

country’s responsiveness to the COVID-19 pandemic. NSF-

made possible many of the technological advances that

funded researchers rapidly mobilized to provide insights into

have improved health, communications, transportation,

the pandemic and how to mitigate it.

manufacturing and the utilization of natural resources.
During 2020, NSF supported research to understand how
the SARS-CoV-2 virus mutates, to learn more about the
virus’s biology and to explore ways of mitigating its impact.

In 2020, NSF celebrated its 70th anniversary. Now is the time
to refresh and reinvigorate our strategy for fulfilling NSF’s
mission. In the years ahead, NSF must work to strengthen
the research enterprise at speed and scale -- to make new

NSF’s contributions to securing the national defense include

discoveries and to generate and mobilize new knowledge

research in cryptography, cybersecurity, novel materials,

at a pace that will enable society to address the pressing

advanced analytics for massive datasets, artificial intelligence,

challenges that confront it.

Now is the time to refresh and
reinvigorate our strategy for fulfilling
our mission. In the years ahead, NSF
must work to strengthen the research
enterprise at speed and scale.
Hyena: Credit: Claire Sanderson
Yuanyuan Wang holds a “mask” used in a process making it easier to build nanomaterials into transistors, solar cells and other devices. Credit: Photo courtesy of The University of Chicago/Jean Lachat
Quantum logic gate takes advantage of new form of light: Credit: Jung-Tsung Shen, Preston M. Green Department of Electrical & Systems Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis

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III

BACKGROUND
With an annual budget of about $8.8 billion (Fiscal Year 2022),

NSF’s investments in discovery and innovation provide

NSF’s investments in people, ideas and solutions drive

the basis for new technologies and create a wealth of

progress in every field of S&E. By supporting bold, large-scale

broader impacts for the U.S. Investments in projects,

research with meaningful societal impact, NSF keeps the U.S.

people and infrastructure have led to discoveries that have

on the leading edge of discovery and innovation.

stimulated economic growth, improved the quality of life
for many Americans and deepened the understanding
of the universe around us. NSF fosters curiosity-driven,

NSF allocates 94% of its budget to
research projects, facilities and STEM
education. NSF funds research in all states

exploratory, use-inspired and solutions-focused research
that transforms our lives.
NSF funds programs designed to foster the development of
the high-quality, diverse workforce needed to carry out the

and U.S. territories - reaching 2,000

Nation’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

academic and other private and public

graduate and postdoctoral research training.

institutions. In fact, NSF supports 24% of

(STEM) research and to build capacity for undergraduate,

NSF supports training in research integrity and the ethical

all federally funded research at academic

conduct of research, the dissemination of the results of NSF-

institutions. On average, NSF receives

data generated. In promoting the responsible and ethical

funded research and infrastructure to provide access to the

approximately 43,000 grant proposals

conduct of research, it also enhances research security.

annually and funds about 12,000. NSF also

NSF supports an advanced research infrastructure that

supports innovation by small businesses,

astronomical observatories, particle accelerators, seismic

partnerships among academia, industry
and national laboratories and research in
non-profit non-academic organizations.

includes oceanographic and atmospheric research platforms,
observatories, U.S. research stations in Antarctica, advanced
cyberinfrastructure, sustained large-scale surveys and more.
Each year, NSF receives tens of thousands of competitive
requests for funding, which it evaluates using a rigorous
merit review process. NSF’s merit review uses two primary

NSF is a unique federal agency. It advances research,
infrastructure and people across all science and technology
disciplines; any topic can come in the door. And it is able to
support the best ideas in and across all fields. This bottom-up
approach fosters creativity from the nation’s brightest minds

criteria to evaluate proposals for new activities – intellectual
merit (meaning the potential to advance knowledge) and the
project’s broader impacts (encompassing the potential to
benefit society and contribute to achieving specific desired
societal outcomes).

and enables NSF to tap into the full diversity of people, ideas

NSF funding reaches all 50 states. In FY 2019, over 300,000

and communities throughout the United States.

people, including students, postdoctoral fellows, researchers,

NSF advances innovation, researches more effective
approaches to teaching, provides entrepreneurship training
to academic researchers and fosters partnerships between

trainees and teachers, were supported by NSF awards. At
least 248 Nobel Prize winners received support from NSF at
some point in their careers.

academia, industry, nonprofit entities and government. It

NSF’s investments will fuel our economy for decades to

invests in ideas with high technological risk and the potential

come, produce high-paying jobs for American workers,

for significant benefits. And it stimulates and supports

improve American prosperity and quality of life and enhance

international research collaboration.

national security.

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III

BACKGROUND
The nature of NSF-supported research and innovation
NSF supports a broad spectrum of research and innovation. This goes far beyond the popular notion of a white-coated
scientist who works at a lab bench and publishes scholarly articles in learned journals. The fundamental source of new
knowledge is curiosity. Sometimes this involves asking the questions “what?” and “why?” that are motivated by a desire to
understand. Often, the curiosity is focused on exploring innovative solutions to problems that challenge society.
NSF supports research that spans a continuum from exploratory to use-inspired in which insights in exploratory research
prompt advances in solutions-focused research and new questions surfaced by use-inspired research generate new
directions for exploration. It also focuses on diversifying the research enterprise. The benefits of diversity for creative
activities such as research and innovation are well documented.1 The more people engage in research and the more diverse
their backgrounds, the richer the range of questions asked. The result is a greater breadth of discovery and more creative
solutions to societal challenges.
Innovation – the creation and delivery of knowledge, products or services with lasting societal benefits – is woven throughout
the fabric of NSF. Partnerships are a key tool for accelerating the speed of progress and the scale of its impact. NSF supports
innovation through its funding of fundamental research and programs that foster the translation of scientific discoveries
into new products or services. NSF programs for entrepreneurship training and research partnerships between universities,
industry, high-tech startups, nonprofits and small businesses support the technologies of tomorrow and speed new ideas from
the lab, computer or notepad to the marketplace. NSF also innovates by continually improving its processes for identifying and
supporting the discoverers and discoveries that are the key to remaining at the forefront of science and technology.

Differently shaped gold nanoparticles: Credit: Nkauj Vang, University of Minnesota

For example, “Making gender diversity work for scientific discovery and innovation.” Nature Hum. Behav. 2, 726-734, (2018) and “Diversity Makes Better Science.” Association of
Psychological Science Observer, 25(5), (2012).

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III

BACKGROUND
The nature of NSF-supported research and innovation (continued)
NSF’s support for research and innovation is essential for the
well-being of America and for the nation’s continued global
leadership: “Fundamental research is fundamentally different
than any other kind of investment. … it is a remarkable
thing: because time and time again, we’ve found that basic
research can pay huge, out-of-proportion returns. Basic
research can completely transform for the better our society,
our economy, our defense.” 2
Congress has emphasized that, “Scientific and technological
advancement have been the largest drivers of economic
growth in the last 50 years, with the Federal Government
being the largest investor in basic research.” 3 To realize
these benefits for society, NSF makes strategic investments
in basic research, advancing technology, the STEM workforce
and research infrastructure. These investments enhance
the nation’s global competitiveness economically and
scientifically. They are vital for advancing the frontiers of
research, ensuring accessibility and inclusivity and securing
global leadership. They also help the nation meet immediate
needs such as combating COVID-19 and building resilience
to future pandemics, addressing climate change, advancing
equity and promoting economic recovery.
NSF’s investments in academic research play a vital role.
As researchers have shown, “when universities have greater
commercial engagement, they tend to create technologies
that consolidate the status quo, but when they receive
more federal funding for academic research, they tend
to produce more destabilizing inventions.” 4 This is also
recognized by industry: “[T]he functions served by industrial
R&D and government R&D are fairly different. Industrial
R&D is generally more geared toward applied research
and development, which tends to be shorter-term, more
incremental and results in private benefits. In contrast,
public sector R&D is oriented around basic research –
fundamental knowledge that underlies innovation – which
tends to be higher risk, longer-term and has much broader
and far-reaching societal benefits. This is especially true of
non-defense U.S. research agencies including NSF…” 5

Rotating gas core collapsing and forming a central star:
Credit: Northwestern University/UT Austin

As other countries rapidly advance the education and
training of their citizens in science and engineering, deploy
highly capable research infrastructure and increase the
resources devoted to research, NSF’s mission becomes ever
more critical. If the U.S. is to remain competitive in a world
where economic and security advances are increasingly
based on sophisticated technologies, made possible by a
deep scientific and engineering understanding, then NSF
must continue to invest in a world-class research enterprise,
support the development of a globally competitive scientific
and engineering workforce and foster greater understanding
of science and technology among the American public.

Lander (2015), “The Miracle Machine.” Address to the National Math Festival. Available at, https://www.msri.org/system/cms/files/132/files/original/Lander-Case_for_Research.pdf.

From Pub. L. 114-329, title II, §201(b)(1), 2016.

Funk and Owen-Smith (2017), A Dynamic Network Measure of Technological Change. Management Science, vol. 63, no. 3, pp. 791–817.

Benchmarks 2019. A Report by the Task Force on American Innovation. http://www.innovationtaskforce.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Benchmarks-2019-SPA-Final4.pdf.

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CORE VALUES
NSF’s core values are essential and enduring tenets that guide everyone in the organization as we support the agency’s
mission. They have been developed with the active engagement of NSF staff. These values identify who we are and what
is important to us. They guide how we make decisions, set priorities, address challenges, manage trade-offs, recruit and
develop personnel and work together with our awardees.

NSF’s strength is scientific leadership. We value diversity and inclusion,
demonstrate integrity and excellence in our devotion to public service
and prioritize innovation and collaboration in our support of the work of
the scientific community and of each other.

NSF’s Core Values
Scientific

We support the expansion of the frontiers of knowledge and the integration of that knowledge

Leadership

into industry and education.

Diversity and

We value the knowledge, skills, abilities, experiences and perspectives that colleagues from

Inclusion

different backgrounds bring to our work and workplace. We recognize that these things
strengthen NSF’s ability to fulfill its mission. We strive to maintain a staff that is representative of
the broader national community. We support outstanding researchers and innovative thinkers
from across our nation’s diversity of regions, organizations and demographic groups.

Integrity and

We hold each other and our awardees to the highest standards of ethical behavior. We strive

Excellence

to ensure the trustworthiness of the results of NSF-funded research. We ensure decisions are
fairly made and communicated respectfully. We maintain the highest standards in merit review,
financial management, award administration and business operations. We use rigorous review
by experts to ensure that only the best ideas are funded. We apply new and creative ideas to
improve our processes and our impact.

Public Service

We proudly value our role as public servants who enable the research community to identify new
paths for expanding knowledge and addressing societal challenges.

Innovation and

We apply new and creative ideas to improve our processes and our impact. We work in a

Collaboration

collaborative enterprise where teamwork is essential. We value the perspectives and values
of our colleagues, recognize that combining our knowledge enables us to find more robust
solutions and acknowledge the contributions that we each make to our shared success; we are
committed to listening, communicating effectively and working collegially. We share both ideas
and responsibilities with colleagues in pursuit of common goals.

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THE DYNAMIC CONTEXT FOR RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
A Case For Urgency
NSF’s role in supporting research and innovation has never been more important, and the opportunities to create
lasting benefits are immense. Around the world, societies are transitioning to more knowledge-based economies. Global
observations of the natural and human environments are revealing the growing footprint of human society. Advances in
science and engineering are making possible new technologies that accelerate opportunities for discovery and change our
interactions with each other. The growth of opportunities for collaboration, learning, commerce and research in the digital
realm of cyberspace has characterized the first two decades of the 21st century. Convergence research, in which many
types of scientists and engineers come together to bring a combined array of perspectives and techniques to bear on very
challenging research questions with potentially high payoffs, is a potent force.
At the same time, the emergence of zoonotic diseases, the impact of environmental change on agriculture and
infrastructure, the prevalence of megafires, changes in marine ecosystems and the ubiquity of plastic waste, from mountain
tops to ocean depths, underline the importance of scientific understanding for health, prosperity and welfare.
Developments such as these highlight the importance of continually investing in fundamental research in science,
engineering and learning and of ensuring the advances in understanding produced by research are integrated into
education and society.
NSF’s strategic plan recognizes that the landscape of research is rapidly evolving. Here we list some of the key contextual
factors that shape NSF’s strategic planning and investments.

Advances in science and engineering
are making possible new technologies
that accelerate opportunities for
discovery and change our interactions
with each other. The growth of
opportunities for collaboration,
learning, commerce and research in
the digital realm of cyberspace has
characterized the first two decades of
the 21st century.

Sunflowers increase foraging habitats for bees: Credit: Courtesy Ben Barnhart
Ultracompact camera: Princeton Computational Imaging Lab

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THE DYNAMIC CONTEXT FOR RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
Contextual Factors
Global Engagement

Pioneering observations in physics and astronomy

S&E research is a worldwide enterprise. The value to society

increasingly require complex infrastructure designed

of the fruits of basic research is recognized around the
world. As a result, we see countries such as China, India and
others increasing their investments in fundamental research
and deploying them strategically to encourage greater risktaking in the exploration of new ideas and to help society

and implemented by teams of hundreds or thousands of
experts from around the world. As major achievements
from the space program to the information technology
revolution have demonstrated, the impact of domestic
talent is magnified when we also attract foreign talent to our

meet looming challenges. Humanity’s collective knowledge

research enterprise.

is growing rapidly. With that growth come opportunities for

Accelerating Impact

new international collaborations that tackle some of the
thorniest problems that confront the global community.
International exchanges of STEM talent between countries
becomes ever more important to progress.
To capitalize on scientific and technological advances, the
U.S. needs to prepare workforces with the skills to take
advantage of the opportunities these advances present.
NSF’s research into how people learn, into the effectiveness
of new learning technologies that are available in an
increasingly digital and networked world, and into how
learning can continue throughout a person’s lifetime is
crucial if we are to exploit these opportunities and maintain
a competitive economy.

We are learning that strengthening the speed and scale
of research and the application of its results to deliver
benefits to society is something that can be accelerated
through strategic thinking. From industry, the example of
the technology accelerator6 informs new approaches to
fostering partnerships that provide agile mechanisms to
translate the results of use-inspired basic research into
practice. The infusion of training in entrepreneurship into
undergraduate and graduate experiences can speed the
translation of new discoveries into commercial and public
policy applications. Modern scientific and technological
workplaces increasingly rely on teams of individuals with
the skills needed to work effectively and creatively in
groups. Examples such as these illustrate the potential

To compete globally, we must collaborate globally. Many of

benefits of transforming our approaches to graduate

the great scientific challenges of our time, such as climate

and undergraduate training.7 NSF supports research to

change and the degradation of environmental services, are

understand what approaches will work and catalyzes their

global in scale and require research into global solutions.

adoption by U.S. colleges and universities.

Star trails over the Mayall Telescope at Kitt Peak: Credit: P. Marenfeld; NOIRLab/NSF/AURA (Available under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International)
6
7

See, for example, https://hbr.org/2016/03/what-startup-accelerators-really-do and https://www.economist.com/briefing/2020/04/11/the-changes-covid-19-is-forcing-on-to-business.
See, for example, https://www.nap.edu/catalog/25038/graduate-stem-education-for-the-21st-century and https://www.nap.edu/read/24622/chapter/1.

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THE DYNAMIC CONTEXT FOR RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
Contextual Factors (continued)
New Enabling Technologies

Responsible and Ethical Research

Throughout the history of science, novel technologies have

The evolution of new technologies and increasingly team-

empowered scientists and engineers to make huge leaps
forward. In past eras, the clock and the optical microscope
both led to a string of discoveries that stretch down to today.
More recently, the digital computer, high-throughput gene
sequencers, gene-editing techniques, exquisitely sensitive
detectors of ripples in space-time, underwater robots and
advanced research ships all open up new opportunities for
research. For example, modern gene-editing techniques,
coupled with greater understanding of molecular biological
processes and design principles from engineering, open up a
whole new realm of synthetic biology where both molecular
machines and novel organisms can be constructed. These
permit researchers to test theories about how life works

centered approaches to scientific breakthroughs that
extend beyond geographic and disciplinary boundaries
highlight the importance of ethical decision-making in STEM.
Today, scientific discoveries are often accompanied by
significant ethical issues. NSF’s investments in research and
training serve to advance the understanding of the ethical
dimensions of engineering and science. Future investments
will produce cutting-edge knowledge about what constitutes
or promotes responsible conduct of research and develop
new ways to instill this knowledge for researchers and
educators at all career stages.

at the molecular and cellular level and make possible the

Data-intensive Science

development of a new biotechnology industry that ranges

Digital technologies – the computer, fast, high-density

from novel sensors for environmental chemicals to new ways

storage and high-capacity, low-latency communications

of manufacturing pharmaceuticals.

networks – together with digitally-based sensing systems,
innovations in quantum-based sensors, and the shift of
a great deal of human interaction to the digital realm,

When it comes to novel instrumentation,

have led to an unprecedented availability of data about
the natural and human worlds, together with powerful

NSF plays multiple roles. It supports the

new techniques to analyze very large quantities of data.

basic research that makes possible the

from a whole community of microorganisms in a drop of

For example, the ability to work with gene sequence data

design of new technologies; funds the

ocean water or a sample of soil has made it possible to

development and deployment of ambitious

of an ecosystem and how it functions. The rate of advance

new research infrastructure that creates

systems promises new tools to extract insights from data.

investigate the relationship between the genetic makeup
in artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum information

new opportunities for science, often a

Research, commerce, health and government can all benefit

decades-long process; and provides

surfacing new questions about how to ensure that very

from these advances; however, those same advances are

researchers with access to cutting-edge

complex tools for the analysis of data about people operate

instruments and data so they can pursue

what extent will it be possible to project behavior from the

in a way that is fair and free from bias. For example, to

research never before possible, creating

analysis of data and how should such projections be used?

the opportunity for new breakthroughs.

questions researchers can ask and answer. The potential

Advances in data-focused science dramatically expand the
of data-intensive science cuts across many fields and is yet
another emergent source of opportunity.

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Contextual Factors (continued)
Growth of Knowledge-Intensive industries and the

which human society depends. The scale of human society

Demand for STEM Talent

has grown to the point where it is no longer a perturbation

Breakthroughs in materials, data science and AI, automation,

to Earth systems but is now a first-order driver of change.

software design, social psychology, biotechnology and the
ability to harness the quantum world are examples of factors
that are revolutionizing the nature of work and giving rise to
the industries of tomorrow. Fundamental research, spanning
the spectrum from curiosity-inspired research to solutionsfocused research, drives this revolution and sustains

The strong, two-way coupling between society and global
biophysical and biogeochemical cycles creates a system that
is challenging to predict. Developing a deeper understanding
of the dynamics of that system, of the changes to come and of
ways to mitigate or adapt to those changes is an urgent global
challenge for researchers, policymakers, farmers, utilities,

economic growth in the U.S. and elsewhere. NSF must

municipalities and indeed, for all citizens.

capitalize on opportunities to intensify the rate at which

An important component of global environmental change is

research generates new ideas and technologies to keep U.S.

climate change, something that has profound consequences

industry and services moving forward.

for the habitability and sustainability of the planet on which we

Increasingly, jobs require more sophisticated levels of

live. Climate change affects food, water, energy, economies,
national security and quality of life through its impacts on

technical knowledge. Globally, the demand for STEM-

human health, agriculture, ecosystems and water resources.

capable workers continues to increase. Over the next few

Any adaptation and mitigation strategies related to climate

years, the number of S&E jobs in the U.S. is projected to
grow about 40% faster than the non-STEM U.S. workforce.

change need to be based on robust scientific findings. In this,

Meeting this demand will require both renewed attention

NSF-sponsored research is at the vanguard.

to STEM education and a concerted effort to ensure that all

In addition to direct consequences of changes in the physical

communities are fully engaged in STEM education, research

climate, such as sea level rise and ocean acidification, global

and jobs. This requires reaching individuals and communities

environmental change includes rapid land-use change,

and helping teachers and researchers inspire and encourage

encroachment on natural habitats, increasing potential for

STEM involvement and literacy. NSF’s research into how

the emergence and spread of zoonotic diseases, depletion of

education can be transformed to provide diverse learners

biodiversity and reduction in the availability of vital ecosystem

with the requisite skills to participate in the industries of

services such as pollination, resilience to coastal flooding and

tomorrow will be vital to the nation’s ability to capitalize on

soil retention. Human activities have exacerbated existing

the fruits of research in other fields.

environmental pressures on society and created new ones for
which history provides little guidance.

Global Environmental Change

NSF is in a unique position to address the fundamentally

Environmental change and variability have always confronted

interdisciplinary topics of climate science, climate impacts

human societies. In some cases, societies have adapted; in

and climate solutions. It can bring to bear the relevant

others, they have departed. But today’s world has entered a

expertise from many disciplines to provide deeper theoretical

new phase of rapid environmental change. We live in a time in

understanding of how components within the Earth system

which the rates of change in the Earth’s physical and biological

interact and give rise to emergent behavior; to represent the

systems are higher than at any time in recorded human

interaction of major components within the geosphere (e.g.,

history. The scale of humanity’s impact on planetary systems

atmosphere, ocean, land, sea ice, ice sheet, ecological and

has grown so that it now reaches from pole to pole – from the

human systems) with fidelity in coupled dynamical models to

heights of the stratosphere to the depths of the ocean. The

project and analyze potential outcomes; and to explore the

impacts extend from the Earth’s physical climate to the natural

impact of climate change on the environment and strategies

ecosystems, global biodiversity and agricultural systems on

for adaptation and mitigation, including engineered solutions.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2021) https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/stem-employment.htm.

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Contextual Factors (continued)
The Changing Nature of Science

for all, including people of color and others who have

The world around us is a complex system with many

been historically underserved, marginalized and adversely

interacting parts and processes. Nonlinearity in many of the
relationships among its components makes understanding
and prediction difficult. Yet the world around us has huge
impacts on our quality of life. The ebbs and flows of the global
economy, changes in the availability of clean water, cycles of
conflict and the emergence and spread of agricultural and
human pathogens are just a few examples of how important
it is to understand the complex system formed by our natural
world and human society. We are learning that many of
the challenging research questions that confront society
require a convergence of the perspectives and expertise of
practitioners from different fields of S&E. Questions span
the range from how to develop new health technologies to
understanding the interplay between the availability and
distribution of food, energy and water.
In several areas of S&E, a recent trend in the way research
questions are developed and answered has been a growth
in the co-production of knowledge, a participatory, solutionoriented approach to research that is often interdisciplinary.9
This concept is characterized by meaningful interaction
between producers and users of knowledge with a view
toward accelerating both the generation of new knowledge
and its mobilization to generate beneficial impacts for
society. Many pressing research challenges can benefit
from this approach. For example, it is well suited to

affected by persistent poverty and inequality.” Studies have
pointed to ways to increase diversity in the S&E enterprise
and demonstrated the value to be gained thereby. In its
recent Vision 2030 report, the National Science Board (NSB)
pointed out that our nation’s greatest resource is its people
and that to remain competitive, the U.S. must be a STEM
talent powerhouse, with “a research and development
workforce that pushes the frontiers of knowledge, within
a strong STEM-capable workforce in which many more
Americans have the skills to thrive in a knowledge and
technology-intensive economy.” To meet these needs,
the U.S. must expand its domestic STEM talent. The NSB
went on to describe the concept of the “missing millions,”
a vast untapped talent pool that exists as a result of the
underrepresentation of women and many communities of
color in the S&E workforce. By partnering with stakeholders
inside and outside academia, NSF can accelerate progress
in increasing diversity in the STEM workforce; for example,
by catalyzing systemic changes in organizations, such
as the development of more inclusive and welcoming
research environments; by investing in research training at
institutions that are successful in developing new talent from
underrepresented groups; by promoting others to emulate
proven practices; and by supporting research on how to
more effectively broaden participation in STEM.

enabling progress on so-called “wicked” problems in socioenvironmental systems such as understanding the potential
impacts of climate change and ways of mitigating these
and the sustainability of ecosystem services that are vital
for human well-being, including those essential for food
production. Co-production promotes both the likelihood
that research will produce actionable knowledge and the
likelihood that such knowledge will be acted upon.
Including the Missing Millions10
It has been said that, “Equal opportunity is the bedrock
of American democracy, and our diversity is one of our
country’s greatest strengths.”11 An Executive Order has

“Missing Millions” is a vast untapped
talent pool that exists as a result of the
underrepresentation of women and many
communities of color in the S&E workforce.
By partnering with stakeholders inside
and outside academia, NSF can accelerate
progress in increasing diversity in the
STEM workforce.

called for “a comprehensive approach to advancing equity
9
10
11

E.g., https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169204619305626?via%3Dihub (2020).
See Section VII for a description of an Agency Priority Goal in this area.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government/.

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Contextual Factors (continued)
Knowledge Mobilization
At its heart, successful research creates new knowledge. However, for that knowledge to provide value it must be mobilized.
Accelerating this mobilization must be a priority for NSF and to do so requires explicit attention to the main components of
knowledge mobilization. The first step in mobilization is dissemination, using formal mechanisms such as scholarly publications
and presentations but also less formal ones – for example, the training of students, conversations with colleagues, books and
videos for a general audience, and outreach to schools and community organizations. However, knowledge mobilization goes
far beyond dissemination. It follows a spiral – from the generation of new knowledge in a research project, often involving a
research team, through human capital development, the development of technological expertise and the broader development
of cultural capital, to specific societal benefits. In this spiral:

Research projects produce
new knowledge among
team members.

Societal benefits flow from
outputs of projects and the
knowledge they generate, such
as startups, patents and new
products. Industries are built
up that bring national security,
economic competitiveness,
health and well-being.

Cultural capital is
produced through broader
linkages as a project works in a
network of other projects and a
larger community: Discoveries are
made; recognition is given; status
is built; doors are opened; others
listen and are influenced; and
project personnel sit on influential
groups such as scientific,
industry and policymaking
advisory panels.

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Human capital is developed
when students, postdocs and
other early-career researchers
from all sectors learn,
graduate, move to new jobs
and carry their knowledge to
work on new projects.

Technological expertise also
develops during a project. New
methods are developed, data
archives are built, data are
shared and new partnerships
are established.

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THE DYNAMIC CONTEXT FOR RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
Contextual Factors (continued)
Translating Insights into Impacts
The need for scientific and technological advances that meet today’s societal challenges has never been greater – from
climate to energy to health care. Increasingly, the scientific and engineering communities are being called upon to address
pressing societal needs: to develop solutions that improve the critical services that local communities deliver to their
residents; transform higher education to meet the needs of tomorrow’s workforce; inform and advance public policies;
deliver the breakthroughs that will enable the industries of tomorrow; and develop ways to enhance the integrity and
security of critical infrastructure. Society is demanding the impacts that NSF-funded research can provide to meet these
needs and many others.
The NSB’s Vision 2030 report encapsulates the trends that we are seeing today in the S&E enterprise and informs NSF’s vision
for translation, innovation and partnerships as mechanisms to increase the delivery of benefits from research to society. The
private sector, including businesses, and especially foundations, nonprofits and other philanthropies, has dramatically increased
its investment in the science and technology enterprise, offering a new opportunity for collaboration and coordination.
NSF’s investments are uniquely powerful in that they support a broad spectrum of research – from exploratory and curiositydriven to use-inspired and solutions-focused. This enables the agency to support a virtuous cycle in which insights from
exploratory research prompt advances in solutions-focused research and new questions, surfaced by use-inspired research,
stimulate new directions for exploration. This close synergy quickens the speed with which the spectrum of research can advance.
NSF programs such as Convergence Accelerator, centers, Innovation Corps (I-CorpsTM) and SBIR have provided a more
sophisticated understanding of how to stimulate research focused on pressing challenges and the delivery of benefits to society12
Partnerships for Innovation gives scientists and
engineers the opportunity to increase the impact of
their NSF-funded research discoveries by developing
their technology into a prototype or proof of concept.
The intended outcomes are commercialization of
new intellectual property derived from NSF research
outputs, creation of new or broader collaborations
with industry, catalyzing increased corporate
sponsored research, licensing research outputs to

Credit: Daniele Foresti, Jennifer A. Lewis/Harvard University

third-party corporations or startup companies funded
by a PFI team, and the training of future innovation
and entrepreneurial leaders.
Launched in 2019, the NSF Convergence Accelerator
builds upon basic research and discovery to
accelerate solutions toward societal impact. The
program funds teams to solve societal challenges
through convergence research and innovation. To
enhance its impact, the Accelerator also places teams
together in cohorts, synergizing their work through
facilitated collaboration.

Credit: NSF
12
Convergence Accelerator: https://beta.nsf.gov/funding/initiatives/convergence-accelerator.
Science and Technology Centers: https://www.nsf.gov/od/oia/programs/stc/.
Engineering Research Centers: https://nsf.gov/eng/eec/erc.jsp.
iCorps: https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/i-corps/.
SBIR/STTR: https://seedfund.nsf.gov/.

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Opportunities and Grand Challenges
New technologies, the new availability of data, and new convergent approaches to doing science create a wealth of
opportunities. NSF looks for creative ideas and novel approaches that exploit these. We will continue to use the advice of
external experts and the knowledge of internal staff to identify bold but promising new ideas. We will not be afraid to take
risks on original ideas, and we will nurture creativity and risk-taking in the rising generation of researchers. And we will
continue to invest in cutting-edge infrastructure for research and in innovation in undergraduate and graduate education.
While we cannot predict what new ideas will emerge in the coming years, we can give examples of current opportunities for
dramatic advances.

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE RECENT PANDEMIC?
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic highlighted the need for greater research on how to predict future possible
pandemics and how to mitigate their effects, and it also highlighted the importance of research on
remote distributed work and remote learning.13

BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
Climate and Resilience Research and Innovation: The

behind. Research that increases the understanding of global

impacts of global environmental change are inescapable.

environmental change and propels innovation in resilience

Many species are having to cope with migration of the

will enable society to anticipate and adapt to change, while

ecological niches to which evolution adapted them. Rising

maintaining economic growth and improvements in well-being.

seas and changing patterns of precipitation will increasingly

Clean-energy research: The need for energy in the

affect the availability and quality of naturally occurring
fresh water. Changes in temperature, precipitation, wind
patterns and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations are
affecting the growth of plants on which animals and people
depend and will have impacts on agricultural productivity.
The Arctic is warming at twice the rate of the rest of the
Earth, with far-reaching consequences for Arctic residents
and the Earth system as a whole. Developments in mobile
and fixed observation platforms, new sensors, wireless
communication, satellite observing systems, integrated Earth
system models and new techniques for the distribution,
analysis and synthesis of data present an opportunity for
global change research with potentially large impacts on the
economy, national security and the well-being of society.

United States continues to grow – for electricity generation,
transportation and use in our homes, commerce and
industry. Biomass, geothermal, wind, hydro, tidal and solar
power have the potential to contribute a greater portion to
the nation’s energy mix. Research that advances materials
for energy-efficient technologies, improves processes for
chemical and manufacturing industries, and develops new
approaches to harnessing energy from renewable sources in
sustainable ways will play a critical role in achieving a carbonneutral and equitable economy.
Collaborative research opportunities in clean energy that
encourage partnering between investigators in the economic
and social sciences, educational research, biological and
physical sciences, computing and engineering are imperative

By investing in research that produces breakthroughs in

for providing the knowledge needed to overcome the

science and technology, the nation can create powerful new

technological barriers to expanding clean energy use and

solutions to address climate change, propelling market-

consumption. As the world moves quickly from a fossil-

driven change and economic growth and improving health

fuel based energy system, developing a diverse technical

and job growth, especially in communities that have been left

workforce in these new fields is critical.

13
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Academies, with support from the NSF and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, established the Societal Experts Action Network (SEAN) of leading
experts in the social, behavioral, and economic sciences to provide rapid, actionable responses to urgent and complex policy questions from decision-makers at all levels of government. NSF
also launched a new research program entitled “Predictive Intelligence for Pandemic Prevention.”

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Opportunities and Grand Challenges (continued)
EMERGING INDUSTRIES
Global competition for leadership and talent in science,
engineering and technology is at an all-time high. For the
United States to remain in the vanguard of industrialized
nations, we must recommit to investing in the research
that creates breakthrough technologies and powers new
industries. The technologies and industries that are the
focus of national conversations around competitiveness
today and the ones that will emerge in the future are
rooted in sustained support for research at the frontiers of
science and engineering.
To create and develop emerging industries, we must
advance in areas such as:

Close-up view of a new neuromorphic ‘brain-on-a-chip:
Credit: Peng Lin (Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

Manufacturing: With breakthroughs in materials,

including health and agriculture. These innovations build

technologies and systems, research transforms

on the base technology and make possible the creation of

manufacturing capabilities, methods and practices.

precision medicines and new methods of plant breeding.

Advanced manufacturing research intersects, builds upon

New biotechnologies will advance the U.S. bioeconomy,

and contributes to developments in biotechnology, synthetic

accelerating the ability to harness biological systems to

biology, sustainability, AI, robotics, sensing technologies,

create goods and services that contribute to agriculture,

data science and computational modeling. Advances in

health, security, manufacturing and climate resilience.

manufacturing will serve to propel almost every sector of the

Other areas of NSF-supported research that promise

U.S. economy, from health to IT to transportation.

transformative new biotechnologies include increased

Wireless Technologies: Knowledge and innovation in areas

understanding of cellular assembly leading to innovations

necessary for future generations of wireless technologies
and networks, while ensuring security for all users, are

in bioprinting, research into biosynthesis that advances
the development of crops resilient to extreme weather

critical for 21st century society.

and investigations into biomechanics that are enabling

Biotechnology: Research in areas such as genomics,

Quantum Science and Engineering: The development

bioinformatics, structural and computational biology,

of quantum computing, communication, sensing and

biophysics, synthetic biology and tissue engineering, and

networking is poised to provide new technologies for

the development of new types of biomaterials, bio-based

information processing, transmission and measurement

microelectronics and biomanufacturing have given rise

in ways that classical approaches do much less efficiently,

to a biotechnology industry. Crosscutting fundamental

or not at all. We have embarked on a revolution in which

discoveries in biology, computing, engineering and

scientists exploit quantum phenomena in new and

mathematics are spurring rapid development of capabilities

previously unforeseen ways. The result is a new paradigm

in biotechnology that drive innovation within the U.S.

that changes science, technology and everyday life. Small

bioeconomy. For example, investigations into bacterial

and exquisitely sensitive sensors and imaging tools for

adaptive immune systems led to the development of the

the laboratory and in the field, secure communication

CRISPR gene editing technique, which, in turn, is now

for defense and financial transactions and computation

spurring new basic research in functional genomics and

with unprecedented power are just a few examples of the

other fields and advancing innovation in existing industries,

potential fruits of this research.

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bioinspired design and innovative robotics and sensors.

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Opportunities and Grand Challenges (continued)
EMERGING INDUSTRIES (continued)
Artificial intelligence: Data-intensive science – the

parallel chip designs that will improve the performance of AI

interaction between people and technology – and the use

algorithms, low-power and high-performance devices that

of a convergent approach to research come together in the

will drive a mobile and wireless future, and smart sensors

research area of AI. For example, imagine a future in which

that will interface between biosystems and electronics.

autonomous vehicles fill the roads and the sky, all the while
constantly communicating with each other, the roadway and
traffic control signals. Understanding the behavior of this
“swarm” and ensuring that terrestrial and aerial traffic flow
evolves safely and efficiently is a research challenge that
requires insights from biology, mathematics, engineering,
human psychology and computer science. The research
addresses the problem of how to integrate large flows of
data from sensors in vehicles and embedded in the roadway
and visual information from cameras. The traffic flow of
highways and skyways of the future is just one example of
the ways in which research that provides the ability to deploy
AI on a large scale will transform our lives. Other potential

INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE FUTURE
Across the country, there is a need for strong, resilient and
sustainable infrastructure that strengthens communities,
spurs innovation and creates American jobs. NSF seeks
to leverage its all-of-science-and-engineering approach to
stimulate groundbreaking research that makes American
infrastructure stronger, more resilient and more cost-effective.
Strong, resilient infrastructure makes public- and privatesector service delivery more efficient. It provides new ways
to protect natural and built environments. It offers pathways
to opportunity for long-underserved populations. And it
enhances national security and fuels American leadership in

outcomes from research on AI and cloud computing include

critical technologies.

robot assistants for the home-bound, diagnostic systems

Research infrastructure, from individual laboratories to

to aid physicians, improved factory automation and, when

major research facilities, is at the heart of the scientific

coupled with novel approaches to the analysis of large data-

endeavor. It is needed for applications as varied as

streams, new tools for the intelligence community.

studying the evolution of carbon in the atmosphere,
assessing the rate at which glaciers are losing ice, analyzing
changes in biomass in forests, studying the rate at which
underrepresented groups are engaged in S&E disciplines,
modeling the epidemiology of infectious diseases, detecting
gravitational waves and characterizing the contents of our
solar system. Modern research infrastructure for these
applications gathers and processes vast amounts of data,
makes sense of those data using tools such as AI, and
supplies both raw and processed data to researchers across
the U.S. and around the world. If the U.S. does not lead the

Soft robotic dragonfly called ‘Drabot’: Credit: Vardhman Kumar, Duke University

world in research infrastructure, it cannot lead the world in

Semiconductors: Semiconductor discovery, development

science and innovation.

and fabrication and technologies for future domestic

Sustaining the development and implementation of state-

electronics foundries will provide an opportunity to address

of-the-art research infrastructure will enable discovery

the technological and global trends in semiconductors

and innovation at the forefront of a wide variety of science

that challenge our nation, such as the end of Moore’s

disciplines. NSF will enhance access to research infrastructure

Law and the offshoring of semiconductor fabrication and

to all groups across the socioeconomic spectrum, with

manufacturing. A focused research effort will enable future

particular attention to communities that have historically been

quantum computing and networking technologies, highly

underrepresented in S&E.

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Opportunities and Grand Challenges (continued)
PEOPLE, TECHNOLOGY, AND CHANGE
The Interaction of People with Technology: Information

The Physics of Aging: Biological organisms, complex

and communications technologies and robotics have

machines, materials, buildings and social and economic

already affected many aspects of human life, transforming

structures all lose integrity as they age and eventually fail.

our work, learning, interactions within communities and

By bringing together insights from a wide range of topics,

even our sense of self. Today, we are at the cusp of a major

ranging from evolutionary biodemography to solder joint

expansion of those impacts that will be driven by machine

reliability, biologists, physicists, engineers and human-

learning, the Internet of Things and semi-autonomous and

centered scientists seek a unified view of aging and

autonomous engineered systems. This represents a socio-

age-related failure. By identifying quantifiable, testable

technological transformation with the potential to affect

questions on how living and nonliving systems age and

society even more pervasively than the industrial revolution.

fail; establishing commonalities and differences between

Its impact will be felt at all scales: individual, organizational

engineering, physical, social and biological aging and failure;

and societal. Learning from the rapid adaptions prompted

and bringing the languages of engineering reliability, aging

by the pandemic and understanding the potential impacts

biology, molecular biophysics and statistical mechanics

of future changes is essential. There is an opportunity for

together, researchers can develop a new understanding

convergence research to understand the benefits and

of aging.14

risks of these emerging technologies and to learn how

Non-equilibrium Systems: Non-equilibrium systems

to create human-centered technologies and technologyrich environments that will enable people to pursue more
satisfying and productive lives.

are encountered in many fields, including physics, biology,
engineering, chemistry, materials science and economics.
Their behavior is often unpredictable with our current level

Conflict and Change: Investments in research on

of understanding. Some exhibit emergent phenomena such

individuals, families, communities and organizations can

as shocks in financial systems, the collapse of electrical

empower society with knowledge about reducing conflict

grids, failures in complex engineered systems, and sudden

and improving cooperation. Such research will provide

outbreaks of disease. Often, behavior at the system level

insights into how people can live together cooperatively in

cannot be modeled or accurately predicted solely from

a diverse, global and more populous society. Answers to

a knowledge of the properties of the component parts.

psychological questions about the relationship between

Yet these systems are often of great utility. A better ability

conflict and cooperation and the way that feelings of trust,

to understand, predict and control their behavior, and

empathy and bias are formed in the brain can increase

to design systems to exhibit specific desired emergent

human capacity for compassion, trust and cooperation.

behavior, will have numerous economic and social benefits.

By bringing together insights from a wide range of
topics, ranging from evolutionary biodemography to
solder joint reliability, biologists, physicists, engineers
and human-centered scientists seek a unified view of
aging and age-related failure.
14

http://physicsoflivingsystems.org/physicsofweartearaging/.

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Brain activity buffers against worsening anxiety: Credit: Jonathan Lee, Duke University

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THE DYNAMIC CONTEXT FOR RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
The Discovery Engine

Observing a 3D projection of an aircraft engine: Credit: Photo from ATE Centers Impact 2011 (www.atecenters.org)
Prosthetic arm from ‘Human Plus: Real Lives + Real Engineering’: Credit: Photo by Andrew Kelly/New York Hall of Science
Green Roof Study in New York City: Credit: Stuart Gaffin and Shaily Kedia, Center for Climate Systems Research, Columbia University

Since its inception, what NSF calls “its “Discovery Engine,” its core research in science and engineering” has fueled American
leadership not just in all areas of S&E, but also in military, economic, environmental and social domains. The core research
that NSF funds attacks vital but difficult questions. In many cases, years of painstaking work are needed to crack the code of
the grand puzzles that nature and history present to us.
Leveraging partnerships with other sectors, NSF supports S&E research

Leveraging partnerships with other
sectors, NSF supports science

and innovation that lead to breakthrough technologies as well as
solutions to national and societal problems, sustaining and enhancing
U.S. competitiveness on a global stage. NSF accelerates the translation
of fundamental discoveries from lab to market, advancing the U.S.

and engineering research and

economy and creates education pathways for every American to pursue

innovation leading to breakthrough

researchers, practitioners and entrepreneurs.

new high-wage, good-quality jobs, supporting a diverse workforce of

technologies as well as solutions

NSF has pioneered a world-leading approach for supporting core

to national and societal challenges,

all over the country to give NSF the best available information on how

research. Its peer review process brings together leading experts from

sustaining and enhancing U.S.

American science can make the biggest breakthroughs and provide

competitiveness on a global stage.

relationships with every major research institution in the country. As a

the greatest value to the American people. NSF has deep and vigorous
result, the agency can support STEM education and training in any part
of the country and can identify experts in any field of science.

Attributes like these give NSF another advantage in serving the nation – we can draw, identify and support proposals that “fall
between the cracks.” Many of the most transformative ideas are interdisciplinary. Because of the way that NSF’s component
parts work together and coordinate, NSF has incredible expertise and dexterity when it comes to finding and evaluating
groundbreaking ideas. If NSF receives outstanding proposals that do not fit squarely into a single academic discipline,
we work together to evaluate them and support them. There are perhaps no better examples of this ability than NSF’s
Convergence Accelerator and Growing Convergence Research programs.

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THE DYNAMIC CONTEXT FOR RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
The Discovery Engine (continued)
Efforts like these have never been more important than they are today. The pandemic, increasing recognition of inequality
and injustice, the rise of cyberwarfare and cyberterrorism, threats to vital social institutions, and changing environmental
conditions raise the stakes on America’s ability not just to produce rigorous, accurate and vitally important knowledge, but to
be able to produce it at a speed and scale that none of our competitors can match.
To accomplish this goal requires America to excel at the “short game” and the “long game.” The short game is the ability to
transform the knowledge we have into products, practices and instruments we can use to solve problems, create change and
empower people right now. The long game is making sure the knowledge base from which our country will need to draw in
the future is as strong as we can make it -- with the caveat that continuing American leadership will require this knowledge
base to be the best in the world.
NSF is a bedrock of America’s long game. It is built to identify the types of work that will create opportunities and empower
Americans for decades to come. Yet NSF’s statutory mission requires always keeping the short game in focus. For this reason,
NSF operates with a daily sense of urgency. We track the Nation’s greatest needs, identify places where S&E advances can do
the greatest good, and support the work that keeps our Nation secure, resilient, sustainable, innovative and just.
This approach has fueled generations of innovators and innovations. Outcomes from NSF’s early-stage investments in core
areas of science and research are seen in the internet, Google, Qualcomm, 3D printing, economic instruments that have
lifted millions out of poverty and even the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing technique that has been critical in the
fight against COVID-19. NSF’s ability to play the long game -- in particular, its sustained commitment to vital research areas
over multiple decades -- continues to push America to the forefront of vital technological areas such as AI and quantum
information science. NSF’s strategic focus on both supporting the best science at the time and planting the seeds for future
research has enabled America to strengthen generation after generation.
As NSF looks to the future, the agency’s capacity to continue to produce breakthroughs, innovate, identify industries of the
future, accelerate the translation of research results to practice and cultivate the diverse workforce needed to power our
country forward must be strengthened at speed and scale. NSF has the know-how and energy to create a brighter future for
our nation.

Outcomes from NSF’s early-stage investments
in core areas of science and research are seen
in the internet, Google, Qualcomm, 3D printing,
economic instruments that have lifted millions
out of poverty and even the polymerase chain
reaction (PCR) testing technique that has been
critical in the fight against COVID-19.
RapidTech 3D modeling: Credit: RapidTech

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STRATEGIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The core of NSF’s strategic plan is built around four themes: empower, discover, impact and excel. The plan focuses on
expanding frontiers, engaging people and delivering solutions. As described in the new vision for NSF that underlies this plan
(section I: Vision), in order to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity and welfare; and to
secure the national defense in a way that harnesses the full potential of the nation, we must simultaneously make progress
in advancing the frontiers of research, delivering the benefits of research to society, ensuring accessibility and inclusivity,
developing STEM talent and securing global leadership in S&E. These inform the objectives of NSF’s first three strategic goals.
At the same time, NSF must strengthen at speed and scale its ability to meet these goals. Consequently, expanding the
capacity and capability of NSF as an agency is a fourth goal, synergistic with and essential to the first three.

Strategic Objectives

Strategic Goals

List of NSF Strategic Goals and Objectives 2022 – 2026
Empower:

Discover:

Impact:

Excel:

Empower STEM talent to

Create new knowledge

Benefit society by

Excel at NSF operations

fully participate in science

about our universe, the

translating knowledge into

and management

and engineering

world and ourselves

solutions

Ensure accessibility and

Advance the frontiers

Deliver benefits

Strengthen at speed

inclusivity

of research

from research

and scale

Increase the involvement

Accelerate discovery

Advance research and

Pursue innovative

of communities

through strategic

accelerate innovation

strategies to strengthen

underrepresented in STEM

investments in ideas,

that addresses societal

and expand the agency’s

and enhance capacity

people and infrastructure

challenges

capacity and capabilities

Unleash STEM talent

Enhance research

Lead globally

Invest in people

for America

capability

Grow a diverse STEM

Advance the state of the art Cultivate a global S&E

Attract, empower and

workforce to advance the

in research practice

community based on

retain a talented and

progress of science and

shared values and

diverse NSF workforce

technology

strategic cooperation

throughout the nation

Foundations: People, Ideas, Partnerships

As described in Appendix 3, NSF’s strategic goals and objectives are shared across the agency.

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STRATEGIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Strategic Goal 1 – Empower:
Empower STEM talent to fully participate in science and engineering
S&E are key to the nation’s economic progress, and people are the core of America’s scientific progress. To accelerate
the advancement of discovery and learning, prepare for a world in which work is increasingly reliant upon scientific and
technological skills and ensure that all citizens share in the benefits that flow from research, we must promote inclusion in
the research community and STEM workforce, access to STEM learning and training and widespread STEM literacy.
Our global competitiveness depends critically on the readiness of the nation’s STEM workforce, but millions of talented
individuals are missing from that workforce. NSF seeks to empower these missing millions15 by making strategic
investments in researchers and research training to harness the talents and creativity of America’s diverse population.
NSF also supports research into practical ways to promote a scientifically literate U.S. population that is well prepared for
the economy and challenges of the 21st century.
The Learning Agenda in Appendix A.1 of this plan contains a set of specific questions to help NSF assess progress on
the strategic objectives listed under this goal. These reflect a guiding question: How can NSF grow STEM talent and
opportunities for all Americans most equitably?
Figure 1: Missing Millions

Women

Hispanic or Latino

Black or African American

American Indian or Alaska Native

x 100,000 people in 2021 in the S&E workforce
x 100,000 additional people needed in 2030 for the S&E workforce to be representative of the U.S. population

The U.S. S&E enterprise lacks millions of people from its workforce, leadership positions and training pathways. While the number
of people from underrepresented groups in the S&E workforce has grown over the past decade, much faster increases are needed
for the S&E workforce to represent the U.S. population in 2030. To achieve that goal, the NSB has estimated that the number of
women must nearly double, Hispanic or Latinos must triple, Black or African Americans must more than double and the number
of American Indian or Alaska Native S&E workers needs to quadruple.

See https://www.nsf.gov/nsb/publications/2020/nsb202015.pdf

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STRATEGIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Strategic Objective 1.1 – Ensure accessibility and inclusivity
Increase the involvement of communities underrepresented in STEM and
enhance capacity throughout the nation.
Our nation’s STEM workforce must reflect the diversity of our
society. This is essential for the emergence of a rich set of
ideas and approaches that drive discovery and innovation. In
addition, our research portfolio must tackle the challenges
faced by all sectors of society; for example, environmental
research to explore ways of addressing environmental
change that benefit the full range of socioeconomic
communities across America.
Demographic Diversity

Geographic Diversity
Talent is found throughout the United States. NSF’s
Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research
(EPSCoR) is an example of a program that seeks to expand
the geography of innovation by advancing research
capacity in states and territories that receive relatively
small proportions of the federal research budget. NSF will
expand its efforts to ensure all parts of the U.S. participate
in the 21st century S&E enterprise.

A student’s socioeconomic or demographic background
should not be a limiting factor in their choosing to earn
a STEM degree, or in support of that pursuit. Through
programs such as ADVANCE and NSF INCLUDES (Inclusion
Across the Nation of Communities of Learners of
Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science)16
and their successors, NSF fosters institutional transformation
within research and educational organizations so the nation
can capitalize on the talents and ideas of all segments of
the population. Through its research training activities, NSF
invests in the broad diversity of STEM talent, aiming to
advance racial equity and a STEM workforce that is more
representative of our nation.

Credit: Lindsay Arvin

Credit CAHSI - Computing Alliancce of Hispanic-Serving Institusions

An Alliance to Broaden Participation in Computing

EPSCoR: Expanding the Geography of Innovation
NSF’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive
Research (EPSCoR) has greatly expanded the research

The Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions,

capacity of targeted jurisdictions, promoting geographic

supported by NSF INCLUDES and other NSF programs, has

diversity of science and engineering across the United

the mission to grow and sustain a networked community

States and its territories. For example, University of

committed to recruiting, retaining and accelerating the

Wyoming researchers led a study that found foreign dust

progress of Hispanics in computing.

likely fertilizes plants in many locations worldwide.

ADVANCE at a Glance and NSF INCLUDES Special Report to the Nation II

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STRATEGIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Strategic Objective 1.1 – Ensure accessibility and inclusivity (continued)
Increase the involvement of communities underrepresented in STEM and
enhance capacity throughout the nation.
Institutional Diversity
To maximize the impact of its research training, NSF works to increase the range of institutions it supports. Through
tailored, capacity-building programs, NSF enhances the ability of specialized institutions to draw diverse communities into
research and the STEM workforce. Specialized programs can also help the nation meet emergent needs for a workforce
trained in the new results of research in areas such as cybersecurity, quantum information science and AI.
Improving Accessibility
As a preeminent funder of research, it is vital for NSF to ensure that everyone with potential has an opportunity to
contribute to advancing the research frontier. NSF will continue to modernize its outreach to potential new investigators
and institutions, combining both direct in-person outreach, support for research development assistance efforts of
external partners, and online tools to make it easier to submit proposals and manage grants.

NSF 101
NSF 101 is an informational series for
the S&E research community, written for
those who may be new to the application
process for NSF funding opportunities.
NSF 101 provides clear, basic instructions
that improve accessibility by demystifying
the process of seeking funding from NSF,
engaging with NSF program officers, and
understanding NSF’s merit review criteria.

By promoting the participation of undergraduates, graduate students and postdoctoral associates from all communities
in research projects, as well as by providing graduate and postdoctoral fellowships and research experiences to an
intentionally diverse array of undergraduates, K-12 students and teachers, NSF supports the development of a new
generation of researchers, scholars and knowledge workers that better represents our pluralistic society. It prepares both
future research leaders and a STEM workforce that is equipped with up-to-date knowledge and the experience needed to
address society’s current and future challenges.
Indicators of progress towards this objective could include increases in the proportion of proposals that come from
groups, regions and types of organizations that are underrepresented in NSF’s proposal portfolio.

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STRATEGIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Strategic Objective 1.2 – Unleash STEM talent for America
Grow a diverse STEM workforce to advance the progress of science
and technology.
Tomorrow’s advances in S&E will be accomplished by people educated today, in K-12 and college settings as well as in informal
environments. One of NSF’s most important approaches to advancing the progress of science and technology is to inspire
and invest in the development of the next generation of our nation’s STEM workforce, both within and beyond the academic
environment. By leveraging its investments in research training and research on STEM learning, NSF supports a national effort
to grow the next generation of discoverers and skilled technical workers and, in the process, entrain the missing millions and
increase the diversity of the STEM workforce. This includes support for research that will develop and test new models for the
lifetime integration of career and technical training, to keep pace with the ever-expanding frontiers of knowledge.

Research on STEM Education

Formal Education and Research Training

NSF supports research in STEM education and on

Institutions of higher education in the U.S. play an important

effective approaches to preparing a diverse, globally

role in educating a diverse STEM workforce beyond

competent STEM workforce and a STEM-literate citizenry.

preparing students for careers in research. NSF invests

The research in learning in which NSF invests is aimed

in postdoctoral, graduate and undergraduate research

at both formal and informal pathways. Formal education

training through funding for research projects, research

through the nation’s K-12 schools provides the foundation

centers and research fellowships and by providing research

for citizens’ understanding of STEM and its uses in

experiences for undergraduates at home and abroad.

addressing the needs of society. The formal education

NSF funds research on ways to improve graduate and

process continues through our nation’s colleges and

undergraduate education to prepare students to participate

universities, where scholarship is the hallmark. Informal

in the nation’s scientific and technological workforce. It

education -- from the nation’s science museums to

provides opportunities for institutions of higher education

children’s educational television -- is a powerful means

to pilot new approaches to education that put the results

to diffuse knowledge, provide learning and instill interest

of this research to good use. And NSF pursues innovations

in STEM topics in everyone throughout their lives. NSF

in undergraduate education aimed at better preparing

invests in research about education to develop more

the skilled technical workforce of the future. These efforts

effective approaches to engage the public and help

support the nation in developing a STEM workforce with

citizens develop a better understanding of science and

broad capabilities for careers in business, industry and

the scientific process.

academia. To strengthen the links between precollege

NSF’s investments in research on STEM education

teaching and the frontiers of knowledge, NSF supports

extend the reach of its S&E programs by paving the way

research experiences for educators.

to integrating their results into modern approaches to
learning. Programs such as Improving Undergraduate
STEM Education and Innovations in Graduate Education
involve research that leads to improvements in
undergraduate and graduate STEM programs, while
Education and Human Resources Core Research
advances learning, learning environments, workforce and
broadening participation at all levels.
Studying why lithium batteries fail.: Credit: David Baillot/UC San Diego Jacobs School
of Engineering

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STRATEGIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Strategic Objective 1.2 – Unleash STEM talent for America (continued)
Grow a diverse STEM workforce to advance the progress of science
and technology.
Informal Education
Informal education is another powerful means to diffuse knowledge, provide learning and instill interest in STEM topics in
everyone throughout their lives.
Citizen-engaged science, for example, fosters informal education and involves citizens in a meaningful, gratifying way as
it advances science at the same time. NSF invests in research on informal education that is intended to develop more
effective approaches to engaging the public and to help citizens develop a better understanding of science and the
scientific process.
Indicators of progress towards this objective could include increases in the number and diversity of students, teachers
and members of the public who participate in NSF formal and informal education activities.

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)
NSF funds a large number of research
opportunities for undergraduate students
through its REU Sites program. An REU Site
consists of a group of ten or so undergraduates
who work in the research programs of the host
institution. Each student is associated with a
specific research project, where he or she works
closely with the faculty and other researchers.
Students are granted stipends and, in many
cases, assistance with housing and travel. These
experiences have inspired many students to
pursue careers in research and science. REU
Sites make a special effort to recruit from groups
underrepresented in science and engineering.

Credit: Val Sloan

Closing
Scientific understanding is key to meeting many of the major challenges that confront society, from adapting to the
impacts of climate change to overcoming the barriers to racial equity in society. To meet these challenges requires the
involvement of society as a whole. NSF’s efforts to mobilize knowledge more broadly and promote scientific literacy, in
partnership with other U.S. and state agencies, are strategic imperatives for the agency.

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STRATEGIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Strategic Goal 2 – Discover:
Create new knowledge about our universe, our world and ourselves.
This goal furthers the first part of NSF’s mission, “to promote the progress of science,” pursuing the generation of
new knowledge so the nation remains a global leader in expanding discovery in science, engineering and learning.
By generating new knowledge, NSF-funded researchers provide the nation with the capability to maintain scientific,
technological and economic leadership in a competitive world.
Fundamental research is a capital investment for the nation. Basic research leads to new knowledge. It provides
scientific capital. It creates the fund from which the practical applications of knowledge must be drawn. New products
and new processes do not appear full-grown. They are founded on new principles and new conceptions, which in turn
are painstakingly developed by research in the purest realms of science.17 Those practical applications of knowledge
sometimes begin to be realized very quickly; for example, some of NSF’s investments in research related to the SARSCoV-2 pandemic produced actionable results within months. In other cases, the practical applications may not be fully felt
until decades after the initial basic research. A connection between fluid dynamics and an improved industrial process
may be easier to foresee than the practical benefits of fundamental physics research into what Einstein called “spooky
action at a distance,” but the initial research on quantum mechanics in the early 20th century paved the way for the
development of new approaches to secure communications and more powerful computers that is underway in the 21st
century’s research on quantum information systems.

Quantum Information Technologies
NSF partners with researchers in academia and
industry to pioneer breakthrough technologies.
For example, in the pursuit of a scalable,
universal quantum computing platform, NSF is
supporting an innovative company to develop
technology that will enable the use of neutral
atoms as a platform for scalable quantum
computing with fault-tolerant capabilities. With a
previously unrealized degree of coherent control
to atomic systems, the system will serve as a
novel tool to study many-body physics, enabling
new quantum simulations of new phases of
matter or high-energy physics.

A piece of the quantum puzzle: Credit: P. Roushan\Martinis lab\UC Santa Barbara

V. Bush (1945). “Science: The Endless Frontier.” Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, vol. 48, pp. 231-264.

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STRATEGIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Strategic Goal 2 – Discover: (continued)
Create new knowledge about our universe, our world, and ourselves.
Just as financial advisors stress the importance of diversifying investments, so the benefits of research are maximized when
a wealth of different fields and research questions are supported. NSF embodies this by supporting all fields of basic science,
engineering and STEM learning research. NSF welcomes proposals for original research and for new tools, such as advanced
instrumentation, data analysis, computation and novel facilities. Investment in competitively selected projects expands the
knowledge base from which innovation springs. A special role of NSF is to encourage creative efforts that may not fit within
the domain of specific mission agencies.
NSF fosters a culture of “smart risk-taking” and cultivates the spirit of exploration in researchers and students. Reviewers are
encouraged to look for high potential rewards that justify taking risks to support projects that may not always work as planned.
NSF provides leadership in an evolving global research enterprise by supporting modern collaborative approaches to science,
funding research within and between traditional fields and strengthening interactions between U.S. researchers and their
leading counterparts abroad. By using novel funding mechanisms for exploratory research, NSF catalyzes and incubates new
fields of research and the search for new insights that disrupt traditional understanding.
The Learning Agenda Appendix A.1 contains a set of specific questions to help NSF assess progress on the strategic objectives
listed under this goal. These reflect a guiding question: How can NSF fuel transformative discoveries most effectively?

Enabling the biotechnology industry
NSF supported exploratory research into
the mechanisms behind how bacteria
acquire immunity against viral infection.
The curiosity-driven project investigated
the function of the protein Cas9 and how
it disrupts viral DNA in bacteria. Building
on decades of research, Jennifer Doudna
and Emmanuelle Charpentier teamed
up to fuse tracr-RNA and CRISPR-RNA to
produce what they called guide RNA, a tool
that enables cleavage of DNA molecules
at extremely precise locations, based on
how the guide RNA was designed. This
technology continues to transform the way
we understand gene regulation.

Credit: Figure courtesy of James M. Berger, UC-Berkeley

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STRATEGIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Strategic Objective 2.1 – Advance the frontiers of research
Accelerate discovery through strategic investments in ideas, people
and infrastructure.
A Spectrum of Research Investments
NSF’s core objective is to improve the collective understanding of the natural, human and built facets of the universe
we inhabit. To achieve this, we pursue a strategy that strengthens the U.S. research enterprise by scaling up effective
approaches to research and research training in ways that speed the pace of discovery. We support a continuum of
research from exploratory to solutions-focused. We look to expand partnerships with philanthropic foundations and
industry to quicken the pace of discovery and the dissemination of the knowledge gained. We invest in discovery and
discoverers in all areas of science, technology and STEM education research. We seek the best research ideas, both
those that advance current understanding and those that disrupt it. We support world-class scientific facilities for the
nation’s researchers at home and abroad. We support the development and acquisition of advanced research platforms,
instrumentation and cyberinfrastructure, providing 21st century tools for 21st century research.
Research with Impact
The formulation of research questions whose answers will have a meaningful societal impact benefits from engaging
stakeholders outside the research community. In some cases, the execution of such research can be strengthened by the
active involvement of stakeholders in shaping and facilitating the research and evaluating intermediate results.
Through workshops, specific solicitations and standing programs, NSF helps focus the attention of the research community
on fundamental aspects of high-priority national challenges. We support researchers in identifying particularly urgent
questions and opening up new avenues to address these priorities. And we provide funding to pursue better understanding
of specific challenges that confront society. These approaches promote impact-driven, use-inspired research.
LEAP: reducing the uncertainty in climate projections.
Projections of future climate from Earth system models (ESMs) play a critical role
in addressing the threats posed by climate change and planning for conditions
that have no historical precedent. But ESM projections have large uncertainties,
and the most worrisome forms of climate change are often the ones with the
greatest uncertainties. Uncertainty is not unexpected considering the many
processes – from cloud formation to carbon cycling to ocean turbulence – that
affect the climatic response to anthropogenic forcing. These processes must be
represented in models, but there is no easy way to simulate them. Some, like ocean
turbulence, are hard simply because they involve very small spatial scales. Others,
like the exchange of water and carbon dioxide through a forest canopy, are only
Credit: Courtesy of Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies

incompletely understood.

Processes that cannot be explicitly represented are incorporated through “parameterizations.” These are based on theory,
but they also involve approximations and must be “tuned” by assigning numerical values to the parameters which control
their behavior. The complexity and computational expense of ESMs has increased to the point where the traditional
approach is becoming impractical. The Center for Learning the Earth with Artificial Intelligence and Physics (LEAP) applies
AI to the wealth of available Earth system data to overcome the limitations of traditional parameterizations, creating a
new pathway to better ESMs and better climate projections. The AI methods build physical constraints into data-driven
algorithms. They are also used to find more discriminating ways to use observational data to evaluate model performance.

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STRATEGIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Strategic Objective 2.1 – Advance the frontiers of research (continued)
Accelerate discovery through strategic investments in ideas, people
and infrastructure.
Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Innovation and entrepreneurship are key capabilities for the nation. NSF’s investments in S&E research and training foster
innovation across a broad range of topics relevant to technological and economic competitiveness. Examples include
advanced manufacturing, the design of innovative materials and building technologies, infrastructure resilience and
sustainability, mitigating and adapting to the effects of global environmental change, innovations in AI, decision-making,
cybersecurity and data analytics. Through its Convergence Accelerator, Partnerships for Innovation and I-Corps programs,
NSF expands its use-inspired research portfolio and fosters a national innovation ecosystem by encouraging institutions,
scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs to explore the innovation and commercial potential of their research.
The rate at which the frontiers of science advance is notoriously difficult to quantify; however, an example of an indicator
of progress could be trends in publications and citations, such as those highlighted in the biennial report Science and
Engineering Indicators.

NSF: transforming the world through science: Credit: Nicolle Rager Fuller, National Science Foundation

From Lab to Marketplace: Testing the Waters
NSF’s I-Corps is an experiential learning opportunity to help scientists and engineers assess the potential to translate their
innovation from the lab to the marketplace. Teams of three — a technical lead, entrepreneurial lead and business mentor
— participate in the seven-week program and learn the art of customer discovery and business planning from seasoned
entrepreneurs. The lead participants must have been funded by NSF as a researcher or student in the previous five years.

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STRATEGIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Strategic Objective 2.2 – Enhance research capability
Advance the state of the art in research practice.
Advance the state of the art in research practice
NSF seeks to advance the state of the art in research and strengthen the speed and scale at which the outputs from research
benefit society. We will do this by encouraging innovation; strengthening partnerships between academic researchers,
industry and other stakeholders; cultivating an inclusive and ethical research culture; embracing the growth of convergence
as an approach to research; emphasizing the synergy between curiosity-driven and use-inspired research; supporting
training in entrepreneurship and innovation; and supporting new modes of research practice. Research practice will also
be advanced by promoting open data sharing; strengthening and broadening the community of research organizations;
ensuring a safe, nurturing and inclusive research environment for all participants; leveraging partnerships with industry, civic
society organizations and others to accelerate the pace of discoveries and their translation into benefits for society; and
piloting new approaches to the formulation of research questions and the pursuit of their answers
Collaboration and Interdisciplinarity
There is growing consensus that some of the most
intractable problems in the scientific, technological and
social arenas require perspectives and approaches from
multiple disciplines.18 Indicators include the proliferation
of multidisciplinary institutes and centers in academia and
the private sector, new faculty hires with joint appointments
and the merging of university departments. NSF has long
recognized the potential synergies that result in such
settings and the creativity that collaborative research and
“team science” can bring to addressing some of society’s most
pressing research challenges. Convergent research, together
with open data sharing among disparate disciplines, can
lead to unprecedented breakthroughs and nucleate entirely
new disciplines. NSF remains committed to maintaining a
wide variety of mechanisms for supporting collaborative
and interdisciplinary research at scales from small teams to
multi-institutional centers.

Chinese chestnut, an example of the diversity of rosids in temperate habitats.
Credit: Miao Sun, Department of Biology, Aarhus University

Closing
NSF will promote an academic culture that encourages

Reproducible research

risk taking, is broadly inclusive in both its demography

Working with the research community, NSF will promote the

and range of intellectual ideas, has access to cutting-edge

use of best practices to ensure that research is reproducible,
including emphasizing the open availability of results and the
data that support them.
Indicators of progress towards this objective could include
growth in the number of records in NSF’s Public Access
Repository.

infrastructure and is globally engaged with increased
opportunities for exchanging ideas and collaborating on
an international scale. It will increase opportunities for
broadening the training of U.S. graduate students and early
career researchers through international exchange activities
and partnerships with industry.

18
See,(1) Roco (2020) “Principles of convergence in nature and society and their application: from nanoscale, digits, and logic steps to global progress”, Nanopart.
Res. (2020) 22:321
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-020-05032-0, and references therein; (2) OECD (2020) “Addressing societal challenges using
transdisciplinary research”, OECD Science, Technology, and Industry Policy Paper #88, https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/science-and-technology/
addressing-societal-challenges-using-transdisciplinary-research_0ca0ca45-en.

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STRATEGIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Strategic Goal 3 – Impact:
Benefit society by translating knowledge into solutions.
NSF has since its creation in 1950, impacted society not only
in the U.S. but also around the world. From groundbreaking
discoveries used for medicine and gene therapies to
cybersecurity research that protects individuals, corporations
and governments alike, NSF has been at the forefront
of scientific discovery and technological advancements
improving society for this generation and the next.
Curiosity-driven, discovery-based explorations and useinspired, solutions-focused innovations are part of NSF’s DNA.
The scientific pursuit of knowledge and understanding is part
of the development of new technological capabilities. And in
turn, those new capabilities allow us to pursue new research
questions that were either unseen or out of our reach.
For the past 70 years, NSF has made transformative impacts

NSF funds graduate student training program QISE-Net: Credit: David Awschalom, University of Chicago

possible through strategic, long-term commitments to

Jump-starting the Quantum Revolution

advancing the entire spectrum of research, and through

NSF’s strategic investments in foundational R&D have jump-

partnerships to catalyze new ideas, new discoveries and
new technologies.
Decades of investment have positioned the U.S. as the
world leader in curiosity-driven research and resulted in
breakthroughs in emerging fields from renewable energy
to quantum computing and AI. These discoveries have also
resulted in translation of research and innovations that have

started the quantum revolution. NSF-funded researchers
are laying the groundwork for quantum technologies by
developing new materials and components. Efforts to
develop a viable quantum computer could advance multiple
fields including AI, personalized drug development and
weather forecasting.

changed the world – from smartphones to 3D printing and

The outputs of NSF’s investments are new insights into

much more.

the natural, built and human world. They promote U.S.

To accelerate translation of knowledge to innovation

leadership in topics of strategic national interest. They are

outcomes requires looking at all the components that make it

captured and disseminated in research papers in journals

possible – partnerships, infrastructure, and most importantly,

and conferences, patents, new approaches to education and

people. NSF advances scientific careers by providing the

training, as startup enterprises and in technology licenses.

support needed for researchers to explore bold ideas. For

Through partnerships between academia, governments,

example, NSF has a multitude of programs, fellowships and

nonprofits and industry, the exchange of knowledge and

career awards to strengthen pathways into STEM fields,

resources helps shape a vibrant research agenda in which

increase diversity and expand our reach into all communities

research questions are inspired by practical challenges, and

where talent exists.

stronger connections between researchers and potential

By engaging stakeholders outside the research community,

users speed the uptake of results.

research questions whose answers will have a meaningful

The Learning Agenda (Appendix A.1) contains a set of

societal impact can be more readily identified. Such research

specific questions to help NSF assess progress on the

is strengthened by the active involvement of stakeholders in

strategic objectives listed under this goal. These reflect a

shaping and facilitating the research, as well as in evaluating

guiding question: How can NSF mobilize knowledge most

intermediate results.

effectively to impact society?

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STRATEGIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Strategic Objective 3.1 - Deliver benefits from research
Advance research and accelerate innovation that addresses societal challenges.
Connecting Research and Innovation

discoveries and technological advances supported by NSF

The first part of NSF’s mission is to create new knowledge

have never been more important to both daily life and the

and expand the nation’s intellectual capital. However,

long-term challenges that confront national and global society.

NSF’s mission does not end there. To advance the national

Open Research

prosperity, we must continue to invest in research that: (1)
connects new knowledge to innovations that drive the nation’s
competitiveness and fuel the nation’s economic growth; and
(2) addresses present and emerging societal needs. NSF will
continue to pursue connections between new insights and
global challenges (often involving essential interdisciplinary
collaborations, prototypes and technologies).
One approach to developing these connections is through
partnerships to promote and catalyze the translation of
research into application. NSF will expand its partnerships
with other government agencies, academia and private and
international entities. Such partnerships leverage NSF’s
resources and help ensure that fundamental research
outcomes are translated into benefits to society.
Engaged Research19
Tools to advance research that provides the capability to
meet pressing societal needs include: increasing support for

To accelerate both research and innovation, it is critical
to make results and knowledge widely available.20 NSF will
continue to promote the rapid and wide-spread dissemination
of the results of NSF-funded research with no or minimal
restrictions from publication embargoes. It will encourage the
use of novel means of disseminating new knowledge. And it
will expand its efforts to ensure that the data cited to support
published research are readily available to other researchers
and well curated. Access to data is important not only so that
others can build on published results but also so that key
results can be tested to ensure they are reproducible.
Indicators of progress towards this objective could include
growth in the number of partnerships spanning academia,
industry, nonprofits, and state and local government resulting
from NSF grants. NSF anticipates these partnerships being
greatly accelerated by the Directorate for Technology,
Innovation and Partnerships’ investments.

the coproduction of discoveries; supporting mechanisms
and training for researchers in techniques to promote the
beneficial uptake of the results of their use-inspired research;
and diversifying the research workforce to bring a broader
range of perspectives to the generation of research questions.
In the coming years and decades, the increasing impact of
humanity on the natural world – and the increasing rate and
reach of the communication of ideas in the digital world -- will
present the research community with urgent and increasingly
global questions. Such questions include how to mitigate
increasingly pervasive pollution, how to slow or adapt to the
accelerating pace of environmental and ecosystem change,
how to handle the emergence of new diseases, and how to
address the dissemination of misinformation.
To tackle these challenges, NSF will support U.S. researchers’
involvement in global research collaborations. The research

New NSF ERC CISTAR: Credit: John Underwood, Purdue University

See, for example, Lemos, M. C., C. Kirchhoff & V. Ramparasad (2012) “Narrowing the Climate Information Usability Gap.” Nature Climate Change, 2, 789-94.
See, for example, David, P.A. (2007) “The Historical Origins of ‘Open Science’.” SIEPR Discussion Paper No. 06-38.

19
20

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STRATEGIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Strategic Objective 3.2 – Lead globally
Cultivate a global S&E community based on shared values and strategic cooperation.
The critical importance of research and innovation as drivers of future growth is recognized around the world.21 As noted by
the U.S. Congress, many countries are increasing their investments in fundamental research.22
The focus on international collaboration in S&E is based on discovery, learning and research infrastructure to engage a diverse
science community from different nations and cultural backgrounds. NSF develops international scientific collaborations on all
seven continents and provides opportunities for researchers to enhance their work through international cooperation.
A Global Footprint

A Global Effort: Imaging a

NSF’s Office of International

Black Hole

Science and Engineering (OISE)

The Event Horizon Telescope

leverages NSF and world

(EHT) – a planet-scale array

resources through international

of eight ground-based radio

collaboration to advance the frontiers of science. It promotes

telescopes forged through international collaboration –

an integrated, foundation-wide, international engagement

was designed to capture images of a black hole. In 2019,

strategy and manages internationally- focused programs

researchers succeeded in obtaining the first direct visual

that are innovative and catalytic. OISE promotes innovation

evidence of a supermassive black hole and its “shadow.”

among the U.S. research community through access to
international knowledge, infrastructure and capabilities.
Research Integrity
It is vital that the U.S. remain a leader in the global S&E
enterprise. In addition to generating new ideas and nurturing
new discoverers and innovators, NSF leads through the
values that it brings to scientific work, including open inquiry,
integrity and inclusion. U.S. researchers in international
collaborative projects reinforce the integrity with which
international research is conducted, promote open access to
data and broaden the range of participants involved.

As has been demonstrated many times, the impact of
domestic talent is magnified when NSF also attracts foreign
talent to the research enterprise. NSF works with its federal
partners to reduce barriers to such participation when it
accords with the key values that underlie U.S. research. At
the same time, NSF continues to enhance research security
through the work of its Research Security Strategy and Policy
staff, building on the report Fundamental Research Security23.
Indicators of progress towards this objective could
include growth in the number of NSF awards that include
international activity.

Global, Secure Collaboration

Closing

NSF facilitates the participation of U.S. scientists and

Breakthroughs in S&E provide new industries and jobs,

engineers in international research partnerships. Many of

enhance food and water security, and will enable America and

today’s great scientific challenges, such as climate change,

the world to meet the challenges of the 21st century. NSF will

the degradation of environmental services, food security

focus the research community on accelerating the impacts of

and the availability of fresh water and clean energy, are

its research.

global in scale and require global solutions. Pioneering
observations in physics and astronomy increasingly require
complex infrastructure designed and implemented by teams
of hundreds or thousands of experts from around the
world. Because of this, NSF must continue to participate in
international research infrastructure development.

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A Global Footprint: Credit: National Science Foundation
A Global Effort: Imaging a Black Hole: Credit EHT Collaboration (Available under Creative
Commons Attribution 4.0 International)

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STRATEGIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Strategic Goal 4 – Excel:
Excel at NSF operations and management.
The first three strategic goals are associated with quickly evolving challenges. Meeting these and effectively fulfilling NSF’s
mission requires blending strong scientific leadership with robust organizational leadership. Both are characterized by vision
and flexibility. NSF will reinforce its capacity to scale rapidly to advance an expanding portfolio that meets the growing need
for breakthroughs in research and innovation.
With the rapidly growing importance of exploratory and solutions-focused research for securing economic competitiveness
and meeting pressing societal challenges, NSF must expand and strengthen the speed and scale at which research is
conducted, research products are delivered and research and innovation communities grow.
New Ways of Working

Building on Renewing NSF

The pandemic of 2020 and 2021 not only disrupted many

NSF launched the Renewing NSF initiative four years

research activities, but also heightened the importance of

ago, and it has been instrumental in enabling the agency

exploring new ways of working and learning, and of leveraging

to maintain uninterrupted operations throughout the

the technologies that support remote participation that have

pandemic (see example, “Promoting an Agile NSF”). It now

been made possible by earlier NSF research investments.

points the way toward realizing the benefits of speed and

In 2020, NSF both celebrated its 70th anniversary and, in

scale envisioned in this plan. Renewing NSF has seeded a

response to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, rapidly transformed
itself from an organization that conducted much of its work
in person to one that operated in a distributed, virtual way.
Much of the technology needed to support this transition
was already in use at NSF, but the response to the external
impetus of the pandemic showed how rapidly the Foundation
could adapt to new ways of working. This experience has

host of opportunities, such as: making greater use of options
for remote work and a hybrid workforce; constantly seeking
ways to streamline, standardize, and simplify processes
and practices; expanding and deepening public and private
partnerships; and always finding new ways to harness
innovations in information technology and data science in
the agency’s work.

created an opportunity for NSF to capitalize on the lessons
learned during the pandemic and accelerate its evolution as
an agile, efficient and effective organization.
NSF’s Convergence Accelerator pilot demonstrated the
ability to translate growth in NSF’s budget to speeding
the delivery of the results of fundamental research to
stakeholders who are well prepared to make use of it.
NSF will build on this success, expanding this type of
accelerated delivery of use-inspired research as the growth
in NSF’s resources permits. Using a model that engages a
broad range of stakeholders in the identification of new
tracks for focused use-inspired research and promotes
partnership opportunities using approaches developed in
the commercial technology accelerator environment, the
Convergence Accelerator has the capacity to increase the
translation of research into practice, stimulate innovation
and provide a fruitful avenue through which external
stakeholders can develop partnerships with the academic
and non-profit research community.
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Global directional sign at Antarctica’s Palmer Station: Credit: Ken Keenan

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STRATEGIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Strategic Goal 4 – Excel: (continued)
Excel at NSF operations and management.

Promoting an Agile NSF
The Renewing NSF initiative was launched in FY 2017 as an agency-wide reform and modernization effort. It has supported
and coordinated a set of diverse and broad-based actions that have worked to transform NSF into an organization that is
even more agile and responsive to the 21st-century scientific, engineering and education enterprise. It began with a series of
agency-wide engagements, and from those discussions, four thematic pillars emerged:
•

Making information technology work for all (IT).

•

Adapting the workforce and the work (Workforce).

•

Expanding and deepening public and private partnerships (Partnerships).

•

Streamlining, standardizing, and simplifying processes and practices (Streamlining).

These themes have guided the agency in the ensuing years, and they have enabled the agency to adapt and pivot in ways
that were unimaginable when the initiative was launched.
For example, the swiftness of NSF’s transition to nearly 100% telework in March 2020 was possible because of technology
investments and employee engagement strategies that were already underway as part of Renewing NSF. Investments in
tools for collaboration and virtual meetings were identified and prioritized in early stages of the initiative. Efforts under
the Streamlining theme included the staged roll-out, beginning in October 2019, of a new electronic document routing
system, replacing a long-standing paper-based process for routing and approving documents. As part of the pivot to remote
operations for COVID-19, this roll-out was accelerated, ensuring that review and approval procedures continued without
significant disruption, even during the first weeks of the pandemic.
Under the Workforce theme, NSF had prioritized updating policies governing telework and therefore had the necessary
structures already in place to facilitate rapid expansion of telework practices. This has brought new attention and focus to
operating with a geographically dispersed workforce. Efforts under the Workforce theme were re-prioritized to leverage the
agency’s experience with virtual operations, with a special focus on the feasibility and desirability of moving toward a hybrid
NSF workforce that includes long-term telework and remote work.

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STRATEGIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Strategic Goal 4 – Excel: (continued)
Excel at NSF operations and management.
NSF will grow its capacity to promote and implement enterprise-scale adaptation and innovation, allowing the agency to
continuously meet evolving challenges and opportunities. It will continue to coordinate across the agency the activities
begun under Renewing NSF. The agency will pursue a transition from Renewing NSF to a longer-term, sustainable enterprise
excellence capacity that will secure the benefits of coordinated, continuous organizational adaptation. This transition will
establish a robust, scalable mechanism to support and facilitate changes, both those already begun under Renewing NSF
and new activities. This will further catalyze enterprise-scale organizational adaptation and advance the transformative vision
of a 21st century NSF. It will enhance NSF’s ability to respond to the future illustrated in the NSB’s Vision 2030 report.
Stewardship

The Learning Agenda (Appendix A.1) contains a set of

To ensure wise and effective stewardship of a growing

specific questions to help NSF assess progress on the

budget, NSF’s management objectives, described below,

strategic objectives listed under this goal. These reflect a

have the goal of advancing organizational excellence by

guiding question: how can NSF excel in stewarding and

accelerating NSF’s culture of continuous improvement and

realizing its vision?

maintaining high standards while growing its workforce and
continuing to take advantage of cutting-edge technologies.
NSF will continue to ensure that NSF’s programs are effective
and accountable, that the merit review process is of high
quality and integrity, and that financial management and
award oversight are rigorous without unduly burdening
awardees. At the same time, the Foundation will look for
opportunities to pilot new technology, leverage data science
and develop organizational structures to meet new strategic
opportunities and the changing nature of research.
Workforce
NSF’s core strength is its people, and the agency remains
committed to recruiting, retaining and deepening the
expertise and capabilities of its entire workforce. NSF
embraces an inclusive and diverse workforce. NSF’s
commitment to the innovative management of agency
operations leverages the creativity of NSF staff with
the opportunities provided by advances in information
technology and training. NSF aims to drive improvements
in its programs, processes and systems while providing
high-quality service and support to all stakeholders. NSF also
strives to align operational plans, budgets and management
practices with agency goals and priorities to create a
common vision that permeates the many functions of NSF
and enhances the performance of both individuals and
internal organizations.

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Combining technical knowledge and hands-on skills: Credit: ATE Centers Impact 2016-2017
(www.atecenters.org)

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STRATEGIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Strategic Objective 4.1 – Strengthen at Speed and Scale
Pursue innovative strategies to strengthen and expand the agency’s capacity
and capabilities.
Strengthening and Streamlining Processes

At the same time, this transition provides opportunities

NSF’s goal of strengthening the speed and scale of its

to expand the pool of talent from which NSF can draw,

investments in fundamental research and their translation

whether in recruiting reviewers or hiring staff. The growth

into societal benefits makes increases in the capacity and

of mechanisms to allow virtual participation by NSF staff

speed of internal processes essential. Such increases must

in site visits and scientific and other types of professional

be achieved while preserving timeliness, transparency,

meetings reduces the burden imposed by frequent travel

accuracy and accountability. To accommodate growth in

and enables both scientific and business operations staff

NSF’s portfolio and the rapid evolution in the nature of

to maintain stronger connections with their networks of

research and the research community, NSF continually re-

professional colleagues. These stronger connections to the

examines its organizational structure and processes to make

research, grants management and business operations

sure that they adapt and scale to the changing role of the

communities will enable NSF to maintain greater awareness

agency. One example of this is the Renewing NSF activity,

of the evolving research frontier and engagement with the

which began in the summer of 2017.

new researchers joining the S&E community.

NSF will pursue sustainable enterprise excellence through
a continuing agency-wide change initiative that builds on

New Technologies and Knowledge Management

the foundational work of Renewing NSF. This initiative aims

NSF will continue to capitalize on new technologies and

to enhance performance of NSF’s mission and maintain U.S.

emerging data analytics capabilities and pursue vigorously

leadership in research and education across all areas of

the expansion of its capabilities for analysis and knowledge

STEM. This effort is aligned with NSF’s history of continuous

management. These are needed not only to assess internal

organizational improvement. It will yield an even more

operational performance and processes, but also to track

agile organization better prepared for future challenges

and anticipate trends in research and to monitor and

and opportunities.

oversee progress in the construction of major facilities.

The four focus areas remain:

NSF program officers and reviewers rely upon the agency’s

• Making information technology work even better for all;
• Adapting the workforce and the work
• Streamlining, standardizing and simplifying processes and
practices; and;

information systems and analytic capabilities to enable the
outstanding merit review process that undergirds NSF’s
global reputation.
Also essential is maintaining a safe and secure physical

• Expanding and deepening public and private partnerships.

and cyber environment. NSF relies heavily on IT for all

Drawing on lessons learned in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, one

of its processes -- including financial transactions, merit

anticipated change in NSF’s processes will be the transition to
a structure in which, on any given day, an increased number
of staff members are working remotely, compared to before
the pandemic, and many review panels, oversight visits and
scientific meetings are conducted virtually. This transition will
require new training in areas ranging from the management
of remote workers to the successful facilitation of meetings
conducted by videoconference. It will also require greater use
of collaboration software.

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reviews and personnel records -- but IT is also the gateway
to communication and interaction with stakeholders in
the research community. As trends towards a mobile
workforce and remote work continue, IT will only become
more important. Work on the Renewing NSF theme of
making IT work even better for all will help position NSF to
take advantage of advances in information technologies,
including AI, automation and the growing availability of
shared services.

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STRATEGIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Strategic Objective 4.1 – Strengthen at Speed and Scale (continued)
Pursue innovative strategies to strengthen and expand the agency’s capacity
and capabilities.
An Evolving Structure
Periodically, when a new field or type of activity that NSF has nurtured has reached a critical mass, NSF has evolved its
structure to better accommodate that growth.24 This plan coincides with the creation of a new Directorate for Technology,
Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) that will advance research and innovation leading to breakthrough technologies and
solutions to national and societal challenges. This directorate will constitute a crosscutting platform that leverages, energizes,
and rapidly brings to market and to society the innovations that result from all of NSF’s investments. Further, TIP will open
up new possibilities for research and education by catalyzing strategic partnerships linking academia, industry, government,
philanthropy, investors and civil society to cultivate 21st-century local, regional and national innovation ecosystems. The
agency will continue to be ready to adapt its structure and processes as its budget and responsibilities grow.
Administrative Services
To accomplish its mission in research and education while maintaining its outstanding stewardship of taxpayer resources,
NSF requires a wide range of operational and administrative services. These include human resource management,
procurement, IT, financial management, program management, project management and administrative support.
Built on a commitment to openness and transparency, NSF will follow a strategy of continuous improvement in business
processes, financial management and policies and associated infrastructure. This may include the pursuit of partnerships
and shared services as a means of promoting excellence and efficiency, as well as innovation in support of a mobile
workforce and the use of remote work practices.
NSF will leverage all available authorities to ensure that the contracts, agreements and partnerships it enters allow for
innovation, reduce burdens on NSF and its partners, and provide meaningful oversight as the need for operational and
administrative services evolve.

TIP will open up new possibilities for
research and education by catalyzing
strategic partnerships linking academia,
industry, government, philanthropy,
investors and civil society to cultivate
21st-century local, regional and national
innovation ecosystems.
Credit: National Science Foundation

”The National Science Foundation: A Brief History” (1994) https://www.nsf.gov/about/history/nsf50/nsf8816.jsp

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accepting, transferring and mitigating risks; developing

Surveys of researchers have identified time preparing

associated contingency management plans; and planning

proposals and reporting progress on projects as a significant

and implementing strategies that effectively manage and

administrative burden. The time researchers spend on

mitigate risk factors. Management challenges identified

developing proposals that are highly rated by reviewers

by the Inspector General will also be an input to this risk

but nevertheless must be declined for lack of funds is a

management framework. NSF will continue to promote

loss of productivity for the research enterprise. NSF will

a highly consultative culture, in which appropriate

explore a number of remedies to this burden, including

stakeholders are engaged early and throughout risk

increasing award size and duration as budgets permit and

management processes.

pursuing partnerships with non-federal entities interested
in collaborating in the support of research and innovation.

Climate Impact

In addition, NSF will continue its efforts to streamline and

Recognizing the importance of reducing direct and indirect

simplify reporting.

emissions of greenhouse gases, NSF will examine ways in
which it can reduce the impacts of its own operations by, for

Risk Management

example, making greater use of virtual meeting technologies

NSF embraces enterprise risk management. This is applied

to reduce the need for travel by staff and reviewers.

throughout the life cycle of awards and to the oversight
of major facilities, physical and cyber security and other
operational processes. NSF is unique in its dynamic
organizational structure, which has enabled it to adapt
quickly and effectively to transformations in the science,
engineering and education landscape. This structure
also enables NSF to form effective partnerships across
government, academia and industry.
This dynamism and the philosophy of striving for
continuous improvement reflect an organization that is

Polar bear mom and cub in the Arctic: Credit: Alfred-Wegener-Institute/Urheber/Fotograf
(Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International)

constantly learning and evolving. Maintaining resilience in
such an environment requires NSF to continue to identify

Assessing Performance and Impact

and manage associated risks and opportunities. One

NSF employs data-driven decision-making. Through an

example of these risks is a workforce that is in constant
transition, with a significant proportion of the scientific
staff serving as rotators for one- to four-year terms,
coupled with natural attrition and retirement. Information
technology systems must be upgraded continually to
support evolving business processes as well as necessary
security and privacy protections.

internal evaluation and assessment of current capability
and the use of tools such as strategic reviews and the NSF
Learning Agenda (see Appendix A.1), NSF will expand its
capabilities to assess the performance and impacts of its
business processes and programs.
Indicators of progress under this objective could include a
measure of the reliability of NSF’s information technology

NSF will encourage an expansion of the use of methodical

resources to ensure that critical information and IT systems

risk assessment across the foundation, including

are available to support staff and our awardees in their

identifying, ranking, analyzing, tracking, controlling,

pursuit of NSF’s mission.

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STRATEGIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Strategic Objective 4.2 – Invest in People
Attract, empower and retain a talented and diverse NSF workforce.
One key prerequisite of being able to scale up the pace of discovery and innovation through strengthened NSF investments
is a workforce that is engaged, highly capable and diverse. NSF cultivates adaptability and flexibility, furthering the agency’s
ability to proactively respond to an ever-changing landscape. NSF strives to help prepare a diverse, globally competent STEM
national workforce and STEM-literate citizenry, and these goals are also reflected inward. NSF’s development of a globally
competitive workforce harnesses diverse perspectives that promote innovation and advance the Foundation’s mission.
Human Capital Management

Facility/Acquisition portfolio, NSF will target other significant

To be an effective organization, NSF cultivates capabilities

programs within the broader awards portfolio where

that enable it to be nimble and innovative by using flexible
human capital processes that position NSF to readily adapt
in a changing scientific and technological environment. From
recruitment to development and retention of exceptional
administrative and business professionals, scientists and
engineers, NSF’s investments in human capital, and its
commitment to its staff, are rooted in the knowledge that

program and project management skills are necessary to
enable successful program outcomes and enhance agency
performance. Training and development plans for NSF staff
associated with these programs will incorporate internal
resources from the NSF Academy (described below) as
well as those being developed by other agencies that are
implementing PMIAA.

people make scientific exploration and discovery possible.
One component of the Renewing NSF effort involves NSF
moving toward a hybrid workforce, which will enable the
agency to have a geographically diverse presence, increasing
the agency’s ability to effectively recruit the best and
brightest talent throughout the nation. Another component
involves analyzing and assessing NSF’s current positions
and visualizing future positions. This will strengthen the
Foundation’s ability to rationalize the many types of position
descriptions that NSF uses, standardize career ladders to
facilitate greater mobility of staff across the organization and
increase the pathways for staff members to advance. It will
also ensure that the agency identifies the current and future
competencies and skills that are required to harness new
technologies and techniques, assess gaps and design a path
to ensure employees are poised to meet the future needs of
the agency. For example, as skills such as data science and
machine learning become more critical, NSF anticipates that
the capacity of the agency workforce in these areas will be
enhanced through specific hiring and training activities.

ATE’s AC2 Bio-Link Regional Center: Credit: ATE Centers Impact 2016-2017 (www.atecenters.org.)

NSF uses various hiring authorities to create a balanced
workforce of permanent and rotating staff members. The
recruitment and promotion processes are strengthened
by internal training on the nature of unconscious bias and

Another component of Renewing NSF is NSF’s continued

techniques to mitigate it. Diversity in backgrounds and

implementation of the “Program Management Improvement

perspectives is a powerful resource; NSF strives to maintain

and Accountability Act” (PMIAA). Leveraging the competency

a workforce that is inclusive at all levels and in all units within

tools and training resources developed for the Major

the foundation.

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STRATEGIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Strategic Objective 4.2 – Invest in People (continued)
Attract, empower and retain a talented and diverse NSF workforce.
Training and Professional Development

Employee Engagement

Through an emphasis on leadership training, coaching

The high performance of NSF’s workforce is crucial to

and detail assignments, NSF nurtures the development

the fulfillment of the agency’s mission. NSF rewards

of in-house managerial talent from within its ranks to

exemplary performance through a variety of employee

complement the opportunities provided through external

recognition programs.

hiring. By recruiting rotators from academia and elsewhere
and actively engaging permanent staff in professional society
conferences and research community workshops, and
through its Independent Research/Development program,
NSF maintains its essential, strong connection to the
forefront of science, engineering and education research.

NSF promotes strong internal and external communications,
ensuring staff and community stakeholders are both
engaged in and informed about organizational change.
NSF employees learn and grow in important ways that
contribute to the organization as a whole and enable NSF to
function as a model federal agency. NSF leadership works

NSF leadership fosters an inclusive and engaging workplace

hard to make NSF one of the best places to work in the

for employees by providing employees with an environment

federal government. To that end, the information gained

that bolsters employee enthusiasm and psychological

from the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) and

commitment to the mission and vison of NSF. NSF has an

other employee feedback mechanisms is highly valued

active employee engagement program that is reinforced

by leadership. Expectations for maintaining an inclusive

by a host of work/life programs, which are continuously

and engaging workplace are held high by leadership, as

reviewed to ensure the programs address the challenges

demonstrated by the time and resources devoted to

faced by employees. To further support an inclusive and

maintaining NSF’s high relative rankings as compared to

engaged workplace, NSF supports a learning culture for all

other federal agencies.

staff by providing a wide array of education and training
opportunities for staff members that strengthen the capacity
of the Foundation and increase its value to the nation. This
support is exemplified in the value placed on employee
training and development.

Indicators of progress under this objective could include a
measure tracking NSF’s implementation of its Human Capital
Operating Plan, which identifies the actions the agency will
take to achieve its human capital goals.

In addition to opportunities for external training, NSF
maintains a strong internal resource, the NSF Academy,
that continuously develops and disseminates cutting-edge
information aimed at enhancing the know-how of the agency’s
staff. In keeping with its aspiration to be a high-performing
organization, NSF provides a vehicle for its employees to
learn how to work more efficiently and more creatively,
furthering their skills in communication, collaborative work
and other tools to enable highly effective teams. This equips

Great American Solar Eclipse: Credit: Rob Margetta, NSF

Closing

employees to meet current and future agency needs and to

NSF will continue to live up to its reputation as an efficient,

be utilized to their fullest potential. NSF provides its managers

effective, agile and forward-looking organization, while

with the requisite toolkit for managing effectively, offering

scaling up its operations so that it can continue to meet the

opportunities to learn and enhance skills that are tailored to

national need for a strong and vibrant research and STEM

new and experienced managers, respectively.

training enterprise.

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VII

AGENCY PRIORITY GOAL
This Plan includes the following Agency Priority Goal (APG) which aligns with Strategic Objective 1.1, Increase the
involvement of communities underrepresented in STEM and enhance capacity throughout the nation. While APGs
cover a two-year timespan, the underlying theme of closing talent gaps in STEM by describing, reducing and dismantling
barriers to full participation will likely maintain its priority status throughout the four-year life of this Strategic Plan.
More information on NSF’s agency priority goal, as well as the APGs from other federal agencies
will be published and updated on performance.gov.

IMPACT:
Improve representation
in the scientific enterprise
by making changes that
will lead to an increase in
proposal submissions from
underrepresented and
underserved applicants and
communities.

ACHIEVEMENT:
By September 30, 2023,
NSF will increase both the
number and proportion of
proposals received from
underrepresented and
underserved 1) investigators
and 2) institutions by 10
percent over the FY 2020
baselines.

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NSF Headquarters in Alexandria, VA.: Credit: NSF

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VIII

EXAMPLES OF LONG-TERM PERFORMANCE GOALS
NSF’s Annual Performance Plan rests on a set of specific performance goals. Each of these is associated with one or more
strategic objectives in the strategic plan and is reviewed annually in strategic reviews or quarterly performance reviews.
These performance goals enable strategic monitoring and oversight of progress being made on the Foundation’s most
important activities. As such, the annual goals provide indicators of progress towards longer-term goals for NSF’s priority
program investments, research infrastructure investments and key management initiatives, as well as the satisfaction of
proposers and reviewers. In addition to the Agency Priority Goal described above, brief descriptions of four examples of
long-term performance goals are included here.

Ensure that key NSF-wide
program investments are
implemented and on track.

Each year, NSF highlights cross-agency investments in the NSF-Wide Investments
chapter of its Budget Request to Congress. Although the overall impact of these
investments will not be realized for many years, tracking near-term indicators
of progress can help the agency make formative changes or course corrections.
This has been a goal since FY 2014. The list of monitored programs evolves
based on investment priorities for a particular year.

Ensure program integrity and
responsible stewardship of
major research facilities and
infrastructure.

NSF monitors the performance of major facility projects by monitoring cost and

Inform applicants of funding
decisions in a timely manner.

The time it takes NSF to process proposals – the amount of time that passes

schedule variances using Earned Value, a standard measure of performance for
construction projects.

between receipt of a proposal and notification to the principal investigator
about the funding decision -- is important for principal investigators. Too long
a time delays the progress of research, but too much haste may weaken the
merit review process by forcing premature decisions. The optimal processing
time depends on several factors, including the complexity of the proposed
activity, the need for co-review by more than one program, the need for site
review, infrastructure requirements and the funding requested. Large, complex
proposals require more time for review to ensure that taxpayer dollars are
invested wisely.

Continue to improve user
interactions with NSF’s IT
systems.

NSF leverages state-of-the-art IT solutions to develop flexible tools and provide
continual improvement of current services, streamlining and simplifying the
interactions that staff and the research community have with NSF’s digital
systems. This also streamlines administrative activities for both internal and
external users and enables the agency to carry out its mission more effectively.
Annual performance goals contribute to this long-term goal by focusing on
key factors and advances such as maintaining system availability, consolidating
points of access and augmenting functionality.

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CORE STRATEGIES: LEVERS FOR ACTION
NSF’s strategies for implementing its strategic objectives can be summarized in five
groups, NSF’s “Levers for Action.” Each lever will be deployed in the pursuit of multiple
objectives. A given objective may use any number of levers.

NSF’S LEVERS FOR ACTION

Refers to programmatic investments that NSF makes to support research, researchers
and infrastructure.

Funding

Refers to policies governing merit review and post-award activities, as well as internal
policies such as those governing hiring and personnel.

Policy

Refers to interactions with other agencies; direct partnerships with business, industry and
philanthropic organizations; and partnerships catalyzed through NSF’s funding programs.

Partnerships and
Leadership

Refers to external outreach, convenings and broader dissemination as well as inreach and
internal communities of practice.

Communication and
Knowledge Management
Refers to NSF’s standing with the communities it works with and supports. Community
stakeholders contribute to NSF by participating in the merit review process as reviewers,
attending convenings and serving on bodies that advise the Foundation, such as Advisory
Committees and the NSB.
Reputation

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CORE STRATEGIES: LEVERS FOR ACTION
Investment Portfolio
NSF creates a high-impact, forward-leaning investment portfolio. NSF receives about 43,000 grant proposals each year
and 12,000 graduate research fellowship applications in virtually all areas of science, engineering and education research.
Since the agency can fund only a fraction of the meritorious proposals and applications received, NSF uses a strategy of
maintaining a balanced, geographically distributed portfolio of funded projects that: supports different approaches to
significant research questions; addresses societal needs; builds capacity in new and promising research areas; supports
high-risk proposals with potential for transformative advances in a field; integrates research and education; and broadens
participation in STEM research.
Investment Areas
NSF works with the research community and other

• Using, where appropriate, quantitative or other evidencebased evaluation of programs and investment areas.

stakeholders to identify key areas for future investment.

• Maintaining up-to-date digital tools and business systems.

These may reflect emerging opportunities of great promise,

• Complementing the expertise of NSF’s permanent staff

address pressing challenges or respond to critical national
needs. They may involve NSF-wide activities and require
sustained levels of investment over many years, or they may
be more narrowly focused and change from year to year as
promising opportunities arise.
NSF receives input on the identification and prioritization
of investment areas from many sources. It uses a variety of
mechanisms to envision the future of S&E. These include
the NSB, the National Academies, advisory committees,
workshops, calls for white papers and other community
engagement activities.
Potential investment areas are evaluated against
considerations that include: alignment with NSF’s mission;

with the knowledge and experience of leading researchers
and educators on temporary assignment to NSF.
Agency Operations
NSF will increase efficiency and effectiveness by:
• Harnessing new information technologies and leveraging
state-of-the-art IT solutions from the private and public
sectors.
• Continuing to take advantage of cloud resources and
shared services that offer the potential for new efficiencies.
• Exploiting new developments in software to improve the
implementation of core processes such as merit review
and financial management.

budget; potential for impact; urgency and readiness; the

• Expanding public and private partnerships.

integration of research with education and strengthening of

• Streamlining interagency activities, such as by

the connections between learning and inquiry; the potential

simplifying the joint analysis of proposals and awards

to broaden participation in S&E; and collaboration and

across federal agencies.

partnership opportunities.
Awards
Proposals for individual research projects are evaluated
using the merit review criteria provided by the NSB. NSF
strives to maximize the collective impact of these projects by
using the following strategies:
• Maintaining NSF’s high-quality merit review process, while
seeking continuous improvement.
• Partnering with other science sponsors and professional
organizations.
• Welcoming interdisciplinary proposals and proposals that
pursue novel approaches.

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• Using alternate funding delivery models beyond those that
have been used traditionally by NSF.
• Establishing new partnerships in research areas of
special emphasis.
• Simplifying programs and processes, for example
by reducing the use of deadlines and expanding
opportunities for proposals unconstrained by topic area.
• Augmenting the skills of the workforce with those needed
to function effectively in more integrated, crosscutting
settings and enhance program and project management.
• Continuing to enhance a culture of diversity, equity and
inclusion through training and recruitment.

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STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
The development of the updated strategic plan began in September 2020 and
included gathering suggestions from numerous stakeholders about how the current
strategic plan should evolve. That process is summarized below.

From October 2020 to February 2021, NSF invited people inside and outside the foundation to
provide comments on the existing strategic plan. This included discussions among NSF staff, with the
NSB, with external advisory committees, and with professional societies and other organizations.

Through an online portal, NSF received over 100 public comments between January and April 2021.

NSF engaged with the Committee on Strategy of the NSB in the development of the initial strategic
framework, the preliminary draft plan and the final draft plan in a series of virtual meetings from
December 2020 to November 2021.

A high-level summary of the revised strategic goals and objectives was shared with OMB in June 2021.

A preliminary draft of the strategic plan incorporated suggestions received through the public portal,
from advisory committees, from the National Science Board and from NSF staff members. It was
submitted to OMB in September 2021.

After receiving feedback on the preliminary draft strategic plan from OMB, NSF shared the
preliminary draft with Congress.

Additional feedback was provided by the NSB in November 2021.

The final version of the strategic plan is being provided to Congress in March 2022.

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APPENDICES
Appendix A.1. Learning Agenda
The learning agenda contains two levels of questions:
1. GUIDING “high-level” questions (aligned with goals).
2. SPECIFIC questions that each indicate a priority to be tackled through studies described in the learning agenda.

Goal 1.
How can NSF grow
STEM talent and
opportunities for
all Americans most
equitably?

FY22-1. How can NSF help increase the participation of underrepresented groups in the STEM
workforce?
FY22-2. In what ways did the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic influence the participation of
different groups in the NSF portfolio of programs and activities?
FY22-3. How can NSF help reduce and ultimately eliminate harassment in federally-funded
research settings?
FY22-4. How could the data system developed for the Research Experiences for Undergraduates
(REU) Sites program be leveraged to improve prospective monitoring of characteristics of
participants in research experiences supported by other NSF programs and study the impact of
research experiences on STEM outcomes, such as educational attainment?

Goal 2.
How can NSF fuel
transformative
discoveries most
effectively?

Goal 3.
How can NSF
mobilize knowledge
most effectively to
impact society?

FY22-5. What are the characteristics of NSF’s portfolio on climate change, and to what extent might
this portfolio advance NSF’s goals of equity, discovery and impact?
FY22-6. How do EPSCoR program funding strategies (infrastructure, co-funding and outreach)
contribute to increasing academic competitiveness across jurisdictions?
FY22-7. What are the benefits of receiving an award from a program supported by a partnership?
How do these differ from benefits associated with awards from programs not supported by a
partnership? What outputs and outcomes are associated with partnership programs? To what
extent can these be attributed to the partnership programs? What improvements could make
partnership programs more effective or easier to implement?
FY22-8. What can be learned from the Convergence Accelerator’s innovative selection process that
may inform improvements in how the agency identifies and selects projects with high potential to
advance ideas from concepts to deliverables to industry and other partners? In what ways does
the Convergence Accelerator innovation training contribute to the emergence of new capacities
among participating researchers to meet pressing societal needs?

Goal 4.
How can NSF excel
in stewarding and
realizing its vision?

FY22-9. What are the characteristics of proposals evaluated through the merit review process?
Are these characteristics (of individual investigators, teams, institutions or proposed projects)
associated with different review or funding outcomes?
FY22-10. What outcomes are associated with the adoption of a no-deadlines proposal
submission process?

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APPENDICES
Appendix A.1. Learning Agenda (continued)

Mapping Between Learning Agenda Questions and Strategic Objectives
LA Question

SG 1 - Empower

SG 2 - Discover

SO 1.1

SO 1.2

SO 2.1

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SO 3.1

SG 4 - Excel

SO 3.2

SO 4.1

SO 4.2

ü
ü

8
9

SO 2.2

SG 3 - Impact

ü
ü

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APPENDICES
Appendix A.2. Capacity Assessment
In 2021, NSF developed an integrated assessment of data maturity and capacity to generate and use evidence to inform
decision-making. NSF’s Capacity Assessment complies with the “Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018”
(Evidence Act) and the Federal Data Strategy. Findings will help guide improvements to bolster NSF’s capacity to produce
useful evidence to support decision-making.
NSF’s Capacity Assessment includes two components — an organizational assessment and an analysis of NSF’s inventory of
ongoing evidence-building activities.
The organizational assessment examined four foundational themes:

Building a culture that

Governing, managing and

Promoting efficient and

Generating evidence

values data and promotes

protecting data;

appropriate data use; and

and supporting evidence

public use;

generation and use.

The findings are based on an analysis of data collected through focus groups across NSF offices and directorates and a
review of supporting artifacts (documents that demonstrate existing policies, processes, or practices).
Findings from the organizational assessment showed that NSF has a culture that values data and evidence, with leadership
setting a strong tone regarding the Foundation’s commitment to evidence-based decision-making. On average, NSF
operates in the middle stages of data and evidence maturity for each foundational theme assessed (data culture, data
governance, data use and evidence generation and use). Variation in maturity across directorates and offices revealed
pockets of excellence and innovation, with some NSF organizations operating at high levels of maturity. Highly mature
efforts may provide models to adopt or build on in developing an agency-wide strategy that leverages NSF’s culture of
evidence in support of consistent practices and procedures.
Analysis of evidence-building activities (namely, evaluation, research and analysis) showed that, in FY 2021, NSF was
pursuing over three dozen formal activities. Most of these activities were conducted in support of the agency’s mission,
benefitted stakeholders across the entire agency, addressed a variety of questions to meet a wide range of needs and relied
on methodologies (from rigorous program evaluations to exploratory policy analysis) that are well aligned with the research
questions. Findings from the analysis of ongoing studies aligned with those of the organizational assessment, underscored
the value that NSF places on evidence, and identified opportunities for targeted improvements.
The main finding of the analyses presented in the capacity assessment was that NSF values data and has a strong
culture of using evidence to inform decisions. Further embracing and strengthening, rather than changing, NSF culture is
recommended. In the period covered by this strategic plan, NSF will continue to mature its data and evidence capabilities.

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APPENDICES
Appendix A.3. Contributing Programs
The “GPRA Modernization Act of 2010” requires each agency to develop an inventory of its programs. NSF categorizes its
federal programs by initial topic area of investment. This approach mirrors its budget structure and the programs presented
here are consistent with the program activity lines presented in the President’s Budget Appendix. This aligns with the way the
agency executes its budget and is complementary with the expectations of external stakeholders. The ordering of this list
follows the budget structure. Programs funded through the Research and Related Activities and the Education and Human
Resources accounts are listed first, followed by Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction, Agency Operations
and Award Management, the NSB, and the Office of Inspector General.

List of NSF Strategic Goals and Objectives 2022 – 2026
Strategic Goal 1

SG1. Empower STEM talent to fully participate in science and engineering.
Strategic Objective 1.1 (SO1.1) – Ensure accessibility and inclusivity: Increase the involvement of
communities underrepresented in STEM and enhance capacity throughout the nation.
Strategic Objective 1.2 (SO1.2) – Unleash STEM talent for America: Grow a diverse STEM workforce
to advance the progress of science and technology.

Strategic Goal 2

SG2. Create new knowledge about our universe, our world and ourselves.
Strategic Objective 2.1 (SO2.1) – Advance the frontiers of research: Accelerate discovery through
strategic investments in ideas, people and infrastructure.
Strategic Objective 2.2 (SO2.2) – Enhance research capability: Advance the state of the art in
research practice.

Strategic Goal 3

SG3. Benefit society by translating knowledge into solutions.
Strategic Objective 3.1 (SO3.1) – Deliver benefits from research: Advance research and accelerate
innovation that addresses societal challenges.
Strategic Objective 3.2 (SO3.2) – Lead globally: Cultivate a global science and engineering
community based on shared values and strategic cooperation.

Strategic Goal 4

SG4. Excel at NSF operations and management.
Strategic Objective 4.1 (SO4.1) – Strengthen at speed and scale: Pursue innovative strategies to
strengthen and expand the agency’s capacity and capabilities.
Strategic Objective 4.2 (SO4.2) – Invest in people: Attract, empower and retain a talented and
diverse NSF workforce.

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APPENDICES
Appendix A.3. Contributing Programs (continued)
List of Directorates and Major Offices
Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO)
Description

The BIO Directorate promotes the progress of the biological sciences, increases scientific
knowledge and enhances understanding of major problems confronting the nation. The
directorate includes support of research project grants in the following disciplines: molecular
and cellular biosciences; integrative organismal biology; environmental biology; and biological
infrastructure. Support is also provided for the purchase of multi-user scientific equipment and
instrument development, and for research workshops, symposia and conferences. In addition,
awards are made to support graduate student research and postdoctoral fellowships across
biological sciences, including groups underrepresented in all areas of research supported by the
biological sciences.
The divisions within the BIO Directorate are:
• Biological Infrastructure (DBI).
• Environmental Biology (DEB).
• Emerging Frontiers (EF).
• Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS).
• Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB).
Current information about the BIO Directorate can be found at http://nsf.gov/about/budget/.

Supported Strategic

SG1. Empower STEM talent to fully participate in science and engineering.

Goals

SG2. Create new knowledge about our universe, our world and ourselves.
SG3. Benefit society by translating knowledge into solutions.
SG4. Excel at NSF operations and management.

Supported Strategic

SO1.1; SO1.2; SO2.1; SO2.2; SO3.1; SO3.2; SO4.1; SO4.2.

Objectives

Fluorescent coral: Credit: David Gruber, Baruch College, City University of New York

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APPENDICES
Appendix A.3. Contributing Programs (continued)
List of Directorates and Major Offices
Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE)
Description

The CISE Directorate supports investigator-initiated research and education in all areas
of computing, communications and information science and engineering. It advances the
development and use of research cyberinfrastructure to enable and accelerate discovery
and innovation across all science and engineering disciplines and contributes to the
education and training of future generations of researchers, practitioners, and users of
computing, communications and information science and engineering, as well as research
cyberinfrastructure.
The divisions and offices within the CISE Directorate are:
• Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (OAC).
• Computing and Communication Foundations (CCF).
• Computer and Network Systems (CNS).
• Information & Intelligent Systems (IIS).
• Information Technology Research (ITR).
Current information about the CISE Directorate can be found at http://nsf.gov/about/budget/.

Supported Strategic

SG1. Empower STEM talent to fully participate in science and engineering.

Goals

SG2. Create new knowledge about our universe, our world and ourselves.
SG3. Benefit society by translating knowledge into solutions.
SG4. Excel at NSF operations and management.

Supported Strategic

SO1.1; SO1.2; SO2.1; SO2.2; SO3.1; SO3.2; SO4.1; SO4.2.

Objectives

Network interconnect cabling on Frontera’s compute nodes: Credit: TACC

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APPENDICES
Appendix A.3. Contributing Programs (continued)
List of Directorates and Major Offices
Directorate for Engineering (ENG)
Description

The ENG Directorate improves the quality of life and the economic strength of the nation by
fostering innovation, creativity and excellence in engineering education and research. It invests in
the creation of new engineering knowledge and the development of human capital; makes critical
investments to enable an intelligent, agile and adaptable physical infrastructure for engineering
education and research; improves the quality and effectiveness of engineering education and
research through the integration and systemic reform of these processes; and enables knowledge
transfer among diverse constituencies and communities. Areas of research include: tissue
engineering; metabolic pathway engineering; bioinformatics; protein drug processing; fluid flow;
combustion; heat transfer; fuel cells; sensors; integrated modeling of the behavior of materials
and structures; civil infrastructure; structures and mechanical systems; engineering in geologic
materials; reducing risks of natural and technological hazards; enterprise-level integration
technologies; innovative design strategies; manufacturing processes and materials; production
systems; microelectronic, nanoelectronic, micromagnetic, photonic and electromechanical
devices and their integration into circuits and microsystems; design and analysis of systems and
the convergence of control, communications and computation; Engineering Research Centers;
Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers; engineering education; human resources
development; crosscutting activities; and special studies and analyses. Support is also provided
for undergraduate student research, graduate research fellowships, Broadening Participation
in Engineering (BPE), research equipment and instrumentation and Grant Opportunities for
Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI).
• The divisions within the ENG Directorate are:
• Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems (CBET).
• Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation (CMMI).
• Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems (ECCS).
• Engineering Education and Centers (EEC).
• Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation (EFRI).
• Industrial Innovation and Partnerships (IIP).
Current information about the ENG Directorate can be found at http://nsf.gov/about/budget/.

Supported Strategic

SG1. Empower STEM talent to fully participate in science and engineering.

Goals

SG2. Create new knowledge about our universe, our world and ourselves.
SG3. Benefit society by translating knowledge into solutions.
SG4. Excel at NSF operations and management.

Supported Strategic

SO1.1; SO1.2; SO2.1; SO2.2; SO3.1; SO3.2; SO4.1; SO4.2.

Objectives

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APPENDICES
Appendix A.3. Contributing Programs (continued)
List of Directorates and Major Offices
Directorate for Geosciences (GEO)
Description

The GEO Directorate strengthens and enhances the national scientific enterprise through the
expansion of fundamental knowledge and increased understanding of the integrated Earth system.
It supports basic research in the atmospheric, earth and ocean sciences. Objectives include the
discovery of new knowledge of the atmosphere from the sun to the Earth’s surface over the
entire spectrum of physical and chemical phenomena; a better understanding of the physical,
chemical and biological character of the Earth and the processes that govern its evolution; and
increased insight into the world’s oceans, including their composition, structure, behavior and
tectonics. Support is also provided for undergraduate student research, graduate and postdoctoral
fellowships, facility enhancement, instrumentation and laboratory equipment, and for research
opportunities for women, minority scientists and engineers and those with disabilities.
The divisions within the GEO Directorate are:
• Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS).
• Earth Sciences (EAR).
• Integrative and Collaborative Education and Research (ICER).
• Ocean Sciences (OCE).
Current information about the GEO Directorate can be found at http://nsf.gov/about/budget/.

Supported Strategic

SG1. Empower STEM talent to fully participate in science and engineering.

Goals

SG2. Create new knowledge about our universe, our world and ourselves.
SG3. Benefit society by translating knowledge into solutions.
SG4. Excel at NSF operations and management.

Supported Strategic

SO1.1; SO1.2; SO2.1; SO2.2; SO3.1; SO3.2; SO4.1; SO4.2.

Objectives

Microscopic view of sulphur butterfly wing featuring UV-iridescence on scales: Credit: Arnaud Martin and Anna Ren/The George Washington University

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APPENDICES
Appendix A.3. Contributing Programs (continued)
List of Directorates and Major Offices
Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS)
Description

The MPS Directorate promotes the progress of the mathematical and physical sciences. MPS
includes support of research project grants in the following disciplines: astronomical sciences,
chemistry, materials research, mathematical sciences and physics. It also supports symposia
and conferences in these disciplines. Basic research in multidisciplinary areas related to these
disciplines is especially encouraged. Support is also provided for: state-of-the-art user facilities
in astronomy, physics and many areas of materials science; Science and Technology Centers;
institutes; undergraduate student research; faculty enhancement; curriculum development;
instrumentation; laboratory improvement; and for research opportunities for women, minority
scientists and engineers, and those with disabilities.
The divisions and offices within the MPS Directorate are:
• Astronomical Sciences (AST).
• Chemistry (CHE).
• Materials Research (DMR).
• Mathematical Sciences (DMS).
• Physics (PHY).
• Office of Multidisciplinary Activities (OMA).
Current information about the MPS Directorate can be found at http://nsf.gov/about/budget/.

Supported Strategic

SG1. Empower STEM talent to fully participate in science and engineering.

Goals

SG2. Create new knowledge about our universe, our world and ourselves.
SG3. Benefit society by translating knowledge into solutions.
SG4. Excel at NSF operations and management.

Supported Strategic

SO1.1; SO1.2; SO2.1; SO2.2; SO3.1; SO3.2; SO4.1; SO4.2.

Objectives

Glimpse inside custom-designed molecular beam epitaxy system: Credit: Courtesy of Brookhaven National Laboratory

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APPENDICES
Appendix A.3. Contributing Programs (continued)
List of Directorates and Major Offices
Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE)
Description

The SBE Directorate promotes basic research and education in the social, behavioral and
economic sciences and monitors the resources invested in science and engineering in the U.S.
Supported activities include research and education in the following disciplines: anthropological
and geographic sciences; cognitive, psychological, learning, developmental and language sciences;
economics, decision risk and management sciences; sociology; security and preparedness;
accountable institutions and behavior; innovation and organizational change; measurement
methods and statistics; law and science; and science and technology studies. Other SBE grants
build infrastructure; develop methods; support center-scale investments; seek to understand
the conduct of ethical and responsible research; and fund research workshops, symposia and
conferences. Educational activities include awards to improve the quality of doctoral dissertations
in the behavioral and social sciences; grants for graduate traineeships and postdoctoral
fellowships; and grants to promote K-12 education in the SBE sciences. The directorate also funds
studies of scientists and engineers, R&D funding and expenditures, and educational attainment in
science, mathematics and engineering.
The divisions and offices within the SBE Directorate are:
• Social and Economic Sciences (SES).
• Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (BCS).
• Office of Multidisciplinary Activities (SMA).
• National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES).
Current information about the SBE Directorate can be found at http://nsf.gov/about/budget/.

Supported Strategic

SG1. Empower STEM talent to fully participate in science and engineering.

Goals

SG2. Create new knowledge about our universe, our world and ourselves.
SG3. Benefit society by translating knowledge into solutions.
SG4. Excel at NSF operations and management.

Supported Strategic

SO1.1; SO1.2; SO2.1; SO2.2; SO3.1; SO3.2; SO4.1; SO4.2.

Objectives

Streamlines in mouse brain indicating direction of white matter tracts: Credit: Sean Foxley, Department of Radiology, University of Chicago

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APPENDICES
Appendix A.3. Contributing Programs (continued)
List of Directorates and Major Offices
Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP)
Description

The TIP Directorate supports science and engineering research and innovation leading to
breakthrough technologies as well as solutions to national and societal challenges, sustaining and
enhancing U.S. competitiveness on a global stage. TIP accelerates the translation of fundamental
discoveries from lab to market, advancing the U.S. economy and creates education pathways
for Americans to pursue new, high-wage, good-quality jobs, supporting a diverse workforce of
researchers, practitioners and entrepreneurs.
The divisions and offices within the TIP Directorate are:
• Innovation Ecosystems (IE).
• Partnerships Office (PO).
• Technology Frontiers (TF).
• Translational Impact (TI).
Current information about the TIP Directorate can be found at http://nsf.gov/about/budget/.

Supported Strategic

SG1. Empower STEM talent to fully participate in science and engineering.

Goals

SG2. Create new knowledge about our universe, our world and ourselves.
SG3. Benefit society by translating knowledge into solutions.
SG4. Excel at NSF operations and management.

Supported Strategic

SO1.1; SO1.2; SO2.1; SO2.2; SO3.1; SO3.2; SO4.1; SO4.2.

Objectives

Credit: National Science Foundation

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APPENDICES
Appendix A.3. Contributing Programs (continued)
List of Directorates and Major Offices
Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE)
Description

OISE enables the U.S. to maintain its leadership within the global scientific community by
strengthening international partnerships to advance scientific discovery; promotes research
excellence through international collaboration; and develops a diverse, globally engaged U.S.
science and engineering workforce by providing U.S. students and faculty with international
research and education experiences. OISE programs include support of international research
and education projects that are innovative and catalytic. OISE programs complement and
enhance the Foundation’s research and education portfolio to overcome barriers involved in
international collaboration. Grants are made in all the disciplinary fields supported by NSF.
Support is provided for international collaborative research; research workshops and planning
visits; activities that will develop the next generation of U.S. scientists and engineers, such as
graduate traineeships and postdoctoral fellowships; special opportunities for junior faculty for
research support and dissertation enhancements; and for U.S. government support to key
multilateral organizations. Support is provided for undergraduate student international research
and education experiences and for research opportunities for women, minorities and scientists
and engineers with disabilities.
Current information about OISE can be found at http://nsf.gov/about/budget/.

Supported Strategic

SG1. Empower STEM talent to fully participate in science and engineering.

Goals

SG2. Create new knowledge about our universe, our world and ourselves.
SG3. Benefit society by translating knowledge into solutions.
SG4. Excel at NSF operations and management.

Supported Strategic

SO1.1; SO1.2; SO2.1; SO2.2; SO3.1; SO3.2 ; SO4.1; SO4.2.

Objectives

Debris from a star destroyed by supermassive black hole are flung into space: Credit: DESY, Science Communication Lab

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APPENDICES
Appendix A.3. Contributing Programs (continued)
List of Directorates and Major Offices
Office of Polar Programs (OPP)
Description

OPP strengthens and enhances the national scientific enterprise through the expansion of
fundamental knowledge and increased understanding of the polar regions. It encourages and
supports basic research that is best conducted in or can only be conducted in the Arctic and
Antarctic. Research areas include: solid earth; glacial and sea ice; terrestrial ecosystems; the
oceans; the atmosphere; geospace science; astronomy and astrophysics; social science; and
others. Major objectives include understanding the natural phenomena and processes in the
Antarctic and Arctic regions and their role in global systems. It supports the development and
training of new investigators in polar regions research, supports innovative research in emerging
areas, encourages interdisciplinary research, fosters activities that create broader impacts for
science and society and increases the participation of under-represented groups. Support is also
provided for undergraduate student research, facility enhancement, instrumentation, laboratory
equipment and research opportunities for women, minority scientists and engineers and those
with disabilities. The U.S. Antarctic Program provides critical support that enables research
and scientific observations in the Antarctic sponsored by NASA, NOAA, USGS, DOE and DOD
(Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty monitoring) as well as NSF.
Current information about OPP can be found at http://nsf.gov/about/budget/.

Supported Strategic

SG1. Empower STEM talent to fully participate in science and engineering.

Goals

SG2. Create new knowledge about our universe, our world and ourselves.
SG3. Benefit society by translating knowledge into solutions.
SG4. Excel at NSF operations and management.

Supported Strategic

SO1.1; SO1.2; SO2.1; SO2.2; SO3.1; SO3.2 ; SO4.1; SO4.2.

Objectives

Waves produced by iceberg calving near terminus of Hansbreen glacier: Credit: Oskar Glowacki, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego

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APPENDICES
Appendix A.3. Contributing Programs (continued)
List of Directorates and Major Offices
Office of Integrative Activities (OIA)
Description

OIA incubates new ideas and communities, supports innovation in research and NSF’s own
processes and promotes integration across research and education domains. Support is provided
to develop human and infrastructure capacity critical to the U.S. science and engineering
enterprise, to catalyze new crosscutting programs, to expand NSF’s capability to gather and
use evidence about the progress and impacts of its programs, for prestigious honorary award
programs and professional internships for aspiring scientists and engineers and for policy and
programmatic analysis for the NSF Director, Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer.
The subactivities housed within OIA include:
• Equity and Compliance in Research
• Evaluation and Assessment Capability.
• Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research.
• Facility Operation Transition.
• Growing Convergence Research.
• Growing Research Access for Nationally Transformative Equity and Diversity.
• HBCU Excellence in Research.
• Major Research Instrumentation.
• Mid-scale Research Infrastructure.
• Modeling and Forecasting.
• Planning and Policy Support.
• Research Investment Communications.
• Research Security Strategy and Policy.
• Science and Technology Centers.
• Science and Technology Policy Institute.
Current information about OIA can be found at http://nsf.gov/about/budget/.

Supported Strategic

SG1. Empower STEM talent to fully participate in science and engineering.

Goals

SG2. Create new knowledge about our universe, our world and ourselves.
SG3. Benefit society by translating knowledge into solutions.
SG4. Excel at NSF operations and management.

Supported Strategic

SO1.1; SO1.2; SO2.1; SO2.2; SO3.1; SO3.2 ; SO4.1; SO4.2.

Objectives

Improving crop resilience for global food security: Credit: University Communication / University of Nebraska-Lincoln

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APPENDICES
Appendix A.3. Contributing Programs (continued)
List of Directorates and Major Offices
United States Arctic Research Commission (USARC)
USARC is an independent agency that is included in NSF’s program inventory but not covered by the NSF strategic plan.
Description

USARC promotes Arctic research and recommends national Arctic research policies to guide
federal agencies in developing and implementing their research programs in the Arctic region.
Current information about USARC can be found at http://nsf.gov/about/budget/.

Supported Strategic

N/A.

Goals
Supported Strategic

N/A.

Objectives

Icebreaker during research expedition: Credit: Zhangxian Ouyang, University of Delaware

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APPENDICES
Appendix A.3. Contributing Programs (continued)
List of Directorates and Major Offices
Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR)
Description

The EHR Directorate sponsors programs that support the development of models and strategies
for providing all students with access to high-quality STEM education, and research about
those models and strategies. In addition, EHR supports scholarships and fellowships for STEM
students. The portfolio of EHR programs in STEM education comprises efforts spanning pre-K
to 12, undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral levels, as well as informal education and
life-long learning. Long-term goals include: supporting infrastructure and institutional capacity
building that will enable development of high-quality educational experiences for all students;
ensuring that educational pathways yield a well-educated and diverse corps of individuals
for the highly technical workplace, the professional STEM community and society; developing
a cadre of professionally-educated and well-trained teachers and faculty; and providing the
research necessary to inform and improve educational practice. Programs include: R&D support
for improving STEM learning and learning environments, including learning technologies in
both formal and informal learning settings; and STEM workforce development, including the
development of teachers; and broadening participation.
The divisions within the EHR Directorate are:
• Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL).
• Graduate Education (DGE).
• Human Resource Development (HRD).
• Undergraduate Education (DUE).
Current information about the EHR Directorate can be found at http://nsf.gov/about/budget/.

Supported Strategic

SG1. Empower STEM talent to fully participate in science and engineering.

Goals

SG2. Create new knowledge about our universe, our world and ourselves.
SG3. Benefit society by translating knowledge into solutions.
SG4. Excel at NSF operations and management.

Supported Strategic

SO1.1; SO1.2; SO2.1; SO2.2; SO3.1; SO3.2 ; SO4.1; SO4.2.

Objectives

Students Create 3-D Objects in the Classroom: Credit: Joe Muskin, University of Illinois

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APPENDICES
Appendix A.3. Contributing Programs (continued)
List of Directorates and Major Offices
Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction (MREFC)
Description

MREFC activity supports the acquisition, construction and commissioning of unique national
research platforms and major research facilities and equipment. Performance of each
construction project is measured against an established baseline at regular intervals and at major
milestones.
Current information about MREFC can be found at http://nsf.gov/about/budget/.

Supported Strategic

SG1. Empower STEM talent to fully participate in science and engineering.

Goals

SG2. Create new knowledge about our universe, our world and ourselves.
SG3. Benefit society by translating knowledge into solutions.
SG4. Excel at NSF operations and management.

Supported Strategic

SO1.1; SO2.1; SO2.2; SO3.2; SO4.1.

Objectives

Agency Operations and Award Management (AOAM)
Description

AOAM funds NSF’s scientific, professional and administrative workforce; the physical and
technological infrastructure necessary for a productive, safe and secure work environment; and
the essential business operations critical to NSF’s administrative processes.
Current information about AOAM can be found at http://nsf.gov/about/budget/.

Supported Strategic

SG1. Empower STEM talent to fully participate in science and engineering.

Goals

SG2. Create new knowledge about our universe, our world and ourselves.
SG3. Benefit society by translating knowledge into solutions.
SG4. Excel at NSF operations and management.

Supported Strategic

SO1.1; SO1.2; SO2.1; SO2.2; SO3.1; SO3.2 ; SO4.1; SO4.2.

Objectives

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APPENDICES
Appendix A.3. Contributing Programs (continued)
List of Directorates and Major Offices
National Science Board (NSB)
Description

The NSB provides policy-making and related responsibilities for NSF and provides guidance on
significant national policy issues in S&E research and education, as required by law.
Current information about the NSB can be found at http://nsf.gov/about/budget/.

Supported Strategic

SG1. Empower STEM talent to fully participate in science and engineering.

Goals

SG2. Create new knowledge about our universe, our world and ourselves.
SG3. Benefit society by translating knowledge into solutions.
SG4. Excel at NSF operations and management.

Supported Strategic

SO1.1; SO1.2; SO2.1; SO2.2; SO3.1; SO3.2 ; SO4.1; SO4.2.

Objectives

Office of Inspector General (OIG)
Description

OIG provides agency-wide audit and investigative functions to identify and correct management
and administrative deficiencies that create conditions for existing or potential instances of fraud,
waste and mismanagement, consistent with the “Inspector General Act of 1978,” as amended
(5 U.S.C. App. 3).
Current information about OIG can be found at http://nsf.gov/about/budget/.

Supported Strategic

SG4. Excel at NSF operations and management.

Goals
Supported Strategic

SO4.1.

Objectives

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File Type	application/pdf
File Title	Leading the World in Discovery; and Innovation; STEM Talent Development; Delivery of Benefits from Research - NSF Strategic Plan
Subject	NSF Strategic Plan, Fiscal Years 2022-2026, Leading the World in Discovery, and Innovation, STEM Talent Development, Delivery of
Author	NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
File Modified	2023-12-19
File Created	2022-03-24