FY 1997 NSF Request: Multidisciplinary Activities Subactivity

The National Science Foundation budget request for the Multidisciplinary Activity Subactivity states:

“The FY 1997 Budget Request for the Multidisciplinary Activities Subactivity is $31.50 million, an increase of $1.50 million, or 5.0% over the FY 1996 Estimate of $30.00 million.”

“The mission of the Multidisciplinary Activities Subactivity is to drive, facilitate and support research and education opportunities that cross traditional disciplinary areas and organizational boundaries. These activities may span two or more of the MPS [Mathematical and Physical Sciences] Subactivities, and/or involve other NSF activities or public and private partners outside the Foundation. Another goal of the Subactivity is to help establish new operational paradigms for fostering and supporting research more effectively.

“To accomplish this, the Subactivity encourages and supports proposals of a multidisciplinary nature. It serves as a co-operative resource tightly linked to the other MPS Subactivities with regard to program and resource management, and as an interface between MPS and other NSF activities on multidisciplinary efforts. For example, the Subactivity leads the NSF initiative in optical science and engineering (OS&E) and has fostered links between Mathematical and Physical Sciences researchers and industry through the Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) program.”

“The FY 1997 Budget request is $31.50 million, an increase of $1.50 million. Important thrusts include support of new multidisciplinary research areas, such as molecular-level environmental science, nanoscience and engineering, and the interface between the mathematical and physical sciences and the biological sciences. Continuation of ongoing activities include the following efforts:

"$5.0 million for optical science and engineering (OS&E).

"$5.0 million for GOALI.

"$1.0 million for Grand Challenge Applications, where the MPS Activity works in partnership with the Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) Activity, in an effort to help strengthen these linkages.”