National Science Foundation
 
The National Science Foundation plays a critical leadership role in directing the nation’s non-defense related scientific and engineering research and education.  Now more than ever, the nation’s future in the global economy relies on the quality of the new ideas, the competitive strength of the science and engineering workforce, and the innovative use of new knowledge generated through the research and education enterprise. 

President's FY 2008 NSF Budget Request

The total FY 2008 NSF budget request is $6.43 Billion (B) representing a nearly $409 Million (M) over the current FY 2007 budget request of $6.02 B.  Funding at this level will keep NSF on the course set by the President's American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI) introduced last year.  The ACI commits to doubling investments over 10 years at NSF and other principal sources of federal support for the physical sciences and engineering.  NSF's role in ACI is to kindle the leadership and excellence in fundamental research and education that keep America at the leading edge of science and technology.

Funding for NSF's four broad categories breaks down as follows:

• $3.13 B (up 7.3 percent over the FY 2007 request) for discovery across the frontier of science and engineering, emphasizing greatest opportunity and potential benefit and establishing the Nation as a global leader in fundamental and transformational science and engineering;
• $1.81 B (up 7.6 percent over the FY 2007 request) for critical investments in advanced instrumentation, facilities, cyberinfrastructure, and experimental tools;
• $938 M (up 4.4 percent over the FY 2007 request) to cultivate a world-class, broadly inclusive science and engineering workforce, and expand the scientific literacy of all citizens;
  and
• $364 M (up 4.1 percent over the FY 2007 request) to support excellence in science and engineering research and education through a capable and responsive organization.
  

The five priorities of the NSF FY 2008 budget are:

• Discovery Research for Innovation;
• Preparing the Workforce of the 21st Century;
• Transformational Facilities & Infrastructure;
• International Polar Year Leadership; and
• Stewardship.
  

Major investments in FY 2008 are slated to include:

• $52 M for Cyber-enabled Discovery and Innovation;
• $644 M for Cyberinfrastructure;
• $59 M for the International Polar Year;
• $390 M for the National Nanotechnology Initiative; and
• $994 M for Networking and Information Technology.
  

A more detailed explanation of the NSF FY 2008 budget request can be found here.

In the FY 2008 budget, the NSF Engineering Directorate (ENG) is slated to receive $683.3 M, an increase of $54.75 M, over the FY 2007 budget request of $628.5 M.  $116 of this $683.3 M represents the SBIR/ STTR program which is managed by ENG.  More information about the ENG FY 2008 budget request can be found here.