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Interested scientists work on discoveries & innovation at or through the NSF
The foundation has many programs that fund research and education. Some efforts are specifically geared toward engaging underrepresented groups
 'At the National Science Foundation (NSF) we recognize that diversity contributes to excellence in science and engineering. Unless we tap all talents, we will not make the advances we need," says Cora B. Marrett, PhD. Since June, Dr Marrett has been acting director of the NSF (Arlington, VA). NSF is the independent federal agency that actively engages leading scientists, engineers and other innovators to work on the research and education so vital to our nation.
Promoting diversity
Top talent of every kind is essential to continue the NSF's fine record of innovative, cutting-edge work, Marrett knows. The foundation has a wealth of programs to engage scientists and other technical professionals who are serious about making a contribution toward  technological and scientific advancement, Marrett says. And she's making sure that underrepresented groups of every kind get their fair shot.
'Underrepresented' includes racial and ethnic groups, of course, but that's far from all, Marrett explains. "We also see an underrepresentation of women. We see that persons with disabilities are not drawn in as extensively as they should be. And often there are differences in geographic distributions. People in rural areas may have less of an opportunity to develop excitement about science.
"Opportunity shouldn't be a function of your past or your location. These should not be matters to block your opportunities!" she declares.
"Promoting the progress of science"
Congress created the NSF in 1950 "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity and welfare; to secure the national defense." Its budget for fiscal year 2010 is $6.9 billion, and with that the NSF funds twenty percent of all federally supported basic research conducted by America's colleges and universities. In many fields, math, CS and the social sciences among them, NSF is the major source of federal backing.
The budget goes out the door...
Fae Korsmo is senior adviser in the office of the director. She notes that more than ninety percent of the NSF budget "goes out the door in the form of competitive grants to colleges and universities, labs, science museums and other science, math and engineering institutions."
It's significant that the NSF does not use the traditional contract mechanism for specific research work. Its grants procedure signifies "a looser arrangement, so researchers at universities and colleges can propose their own innovative projects," Korsmo says.
...and the scientists rotate in
The NSF welcomes a lot of "rotators" through the Intergovernmental Personnel Act mobility program and the Visiting Scientist, Engineer and Educator program. Of the 520 program managers, about half come from universities or science museums just for a year or two, to learn how NSF works and bring in their own new technologies and ideas.
"It's a flow: a close interaction with the community that we feel keeps us strong and vibrant," Korsmo says. At any given time the NSF is involved with 30,000 active grants and cooperative agreements.
Work models
There are several models for work at NSF. One is typified by Korsmo, who originally came to the foundation in 1997 as a program manager from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. Other NSF rotators are visiting scientists, engineers and educators. They take temporary leave from their universities and become government employees. "It's a temporary governmental position, but you're a program manager making recommendations that can affect the future of your own field," Korsmo explains. Other program managers come to NSF as permanent employees. All have the important job of peer review and award management.
Program grants
The program grants cover every field of science, math, engineering and social-behavioral sciences. The only exception is clinical research, which is separately covered by the National Institutes of Health.
"In its structure NSF is very much like a university," Korsmo says. "There are units for biological sciences, geosciences, math and physical sciences, engineering, social-behavioral and economic sciences. We even have polar programs for research in the Arctic and Antarctic, and programs for education and human resources."
Elements of diversity
Each program includes elements of diversity, Korsmo says, and some programs focus directly on the diverse technical workforce: education, attracting a more diverse pool of students to STEM fields, or "increasing the participation and advancement of women in academic science and engineering careers," an NSF-wide program.
There are also a variety of mentoring programs across NSF, and some specialized programs in various directorates.
PREM boosts minority participation
The Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials (PREM) grant awards are a good example of how a program can increase participation of minority students, says Dr Sean Jones, program director. Right now the PREMs are only awarded to minority-serving institutions as the lead partner institutions. NSF has a goal to expand the program to include other underrepresented groups, Jones says.
PREM awards are for five years; the next round is planned for 2011 or early 2012, when it's anticipated that four to eight awards will be made. Right now there are fourteen active PREMs; during the last cycle there were 190 undergrads, 135 graduate students and a couple of dozen postdoctoral Fellows engaged in materials research at these minority-serving institutions.
"We've graduated 112 undergrads and sixty-three grad students and have had eight post-docs complete their fellowships supported by PREM awards," Jones says. "We're trying to make a difference, but it will take time to see long-term effects from having these awards in place."
"It's good to make contacts"
Dr Wanda Jones, a former graduate student at Tuskegee University, the lead partner in a PREM, is currently doing a postdoctoral fellowship at Cornell University, Tuskegee's PREM partner institution. "Minority students are likely to go to institutions close to home, near where they grew up," she says. "But through PREM they're exposed to other universities. The visiting students, postdocs and faculty get a better understanding of different methods of performing research." For some PREM students, the opportunity to conduct research at the partner institution represents the first time the students have ever left their own state.
Acting director Marrett notes that "PREM is just one of many activities we're doing. We're building a better base of knowledge. I'm pleased about the level of commitment and interaction we're seeing."
D/C
Heidi Russell Rafferty
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