“The Future of the NSF” - The View of the House Science Committee

Accompanying H.R. 3254, the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 1994, is a 56-page report by the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee. This report elaborates upon the bill itself, providing recommendations and views useful in understanding the intent of the legislation. Changing the direction of a government agency, such as the NSF, is the province of authorization bills. Thus the “Committee Views” on the future of the NSF have special significance. Relevant portions of the report follow:

“Basic research is often equated exclusively with curiosity-driven inquiry having no relevance to practical problems. Also, basic research is sometimes characterized as being totally separate and distinct from applied research. Differences in interpretation of the meaning of basic research coupled with the fact that NSF sponsors mainly basic research has led to controversy about what the appropriate mission for NSF ought to be. The question becomes, is the NSF mission statement consistent with ensuring that NSF makes an appropriate contribution to achieving national goals and satisfying national needs?”

“Although both academia and industry largely agree on the soundness of the traditional mission of NSF, suggestions have been advanced in the public policy arena that the NSF mission needs to be adjusted so that greater emphasis is placed on industrially relevant research, where such research is characterized as producing short-term results and is assessed by measuring progress toward meeting closely spaced milestones identified a priori. Fundamental research, on the other hand, is characterized as solely curiosity-driven research which is unconnected to useful applications.”

“In fact, basic research encompasses a broad range of activities that address national needs, are largely indistinguishable in terms of the techniques and procedures used by the researchers involved, but may spring from different motivations....”

“It is now understood that multiple paths lead to technological innovation and that the old model of a linear relationship leading from basic research, to applied research, and then to development does not generally apply. Scientific discovery is not always the basis of a new technology, but basic research has made many important contributions to technology advances.”

“The Committee strongly asserts that the mission statement for NSF as contained in...the [original] NSF Act of 1950 requires that NSF continue its focus on support of basic research and education in science and engineering. The Committee further asserts that the NSF mission may be altered only by amendment of the NSF Act of 1950, and consequently, the Committee expects NSF’s programs and activities to conform to the functions authorized by the 1950 Act, as amended. The Committee finds that the NSF [current] mission statement is consistent with NSF playing an important and necessary role in improving the economic competitiveness of the United States....”