Subject: NSF Press Release - Reorganization
From: Dot Baker <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 08 Nov 91 10:06 EST

Hi Paul,
   Please post this to the NIH Listserver as:
     NSFREORG.911108
 ---------------------------- Text of forwarded message -----------------------
Title       : NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION REORGANIZES TO PROMOTE
              SOCIAL, BEHAVIORAL AND ECONOMIC SCIENCES
NSF Contact : OLPA
Type        : Press Release
Date        : October 24, 1991

 

Jeffrey Norris                                          IMMEDIATE
(202) 357-9498                                   October 24, 1991
                                                     NSF PR 91-93

       NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION REORGANIZES TO PROMOTE
            SOCIAL, BEHAVIORAL AND ECONOMIC SCIENCES

     Walter E. Massey, Director of the National Science
Foundation, the federal government's largest source of funds to
academic researchers conducting basic research in non-medical
fields, today announced a reorganization of the agency that will
include the creation of a new directorate for social, behavioral
and economic sciences.
     "Strong and very important advantages will be gained for
research as a result of this reorganization," according to
Massey.  "In order to respond effectively to new opportunities
and challenges, NSF needs to develop these fields through a
directorate level focus."
     Massey announced the changes at a meeting of the National
Science Board, the policy-making body of NSF.  The reorganization
is an acknowledgement of the importance of rapidly advancing
fields in both the biological sciences and in the social,
behavioral and economic sciences.
-                             more-

 
-                                         2-
 
     "In these areas alone, NSF has provided a foundation for new
science that will lead us to improved technologies, a more
refined understanding of how we may preserve our environment, and
a more comprehensive conception of market mechanisms," Massey
said.
 
     Recent advances include useful materials derived from
biological substances, an increased knowledge of biological
diversity and ecosystems, fundamental discoveries in plant
genetics, new methodologies in data acquisition and analysis, the
development of powerful geographic information systems, and a
better understanding of the dynamics of global economic, social
political, cultural and environmental relationships.
 
     The scope of research supported by the existing Directorate
for Biological, Behavioral and Social Sciences, established in
1976, has grown very broad, Massey noted, and the reorganization
will permit NSF to support more adequately the full range of
research in these areas through two distinct research
directorates.
 
     Massey arrived at his decision to undertake the
reorganization announced today after consulting with a broad
spectrum of scientists, including those working in the affected
research areas, members of the National Science Board, and
others.  He also considered input from a task force established
by the Directorate for Biological, Behavioral and Social Sciences
and made up of prominent researchers from outside NSF.
 
     The new directorate will fund research in economics,
cognitive science, linguistics, sociology, psychology, geography,
political science, and anthropology.  The directorate will also
fund interdisciplinary fields such as law and social science;
decision, risk and management science; and science, technology
and society.  In addition, it will have the functions of the
divisions of science resources studies (surveys and data
collection activities) and international program activities.
Both of these activities were previously found in the former
Directorate for Scientific, Technological and International
Affairs.
 
     The other functions previously housed in this directorate,
and in the Directorate for Administration, will be incorporated
into new staff offices and other existing directorates.

-                             more-

 

-                                         3-
 
     With the elimination of these two directorates, the
reorganization is not expected to increase administrative costs.
No immediate changes in staffing or funding will result from the
reorganization.  Programs will be transferred intact and will
maintain current responsibilities.
 
-                              end-
 
     The National Science Foundation is an independent agency of
the federal government established in 1950 to promote and advance
scientific progress in the United States.  NSF accomplishes its
mission primarily by competitively awarding grants to educational
institutions for research and education in the sciences,
mathematics, and engineering.
 
..stis file is pr9193
..expires April 1992
 
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