Media Advisory 08-009
National Science Foundation to Host Annual Budget Request Rollout and Open House on Feb. 4

Presentation of proposed FY 2009 budget at 3:30 p.m. and demonstrations of NSF-sponsored research all day

January 31, 2008

The National Science Foundation (NSF) will hold its annual budget request rollout event and open house on Feb. 4, 2008, at its headquarters at 4201 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, Va.

The 3:30 p.m. rollout event, consisting of a briefing by NSF Director Arden Bement followed by break-out sessions for each NSF directorate, will provide details about the amount of funding the administration is seeking from Congress for NSF in fiscal year 2009.

Senior NSF leaders will discuss funding requests for major scientific research programs and projects and will be available to members of the news media for interviews.

NSF will also host an open house from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the same location. The open house will feature demonstrations of NSF-sponsored research, showcasing several fascinating, interactive exhibits and displays to include, but not limited to:

PIRE: Humanoids -- Two-legged robots engineered to mimic human form and function. This international partnership between the United States and Korea envisions a future where robots interact with people and assist in everyday chores. Such a vision demands advancing artificial intelligence and information technologies on robots.

IceCube Project -- See a Digital Optical module like those deployed over 1400 meters deep below the South Pole to detect neutrino events. Visitors can try on the cold weather gear that scientists wear at the South Pole and see an interactive display of real events detected by IceCube using computer monitors.

How Do They Do It? Animal Movements Lead to Advances in Technology -- A live chameleon and toad demonstrate their extremely rapid prey capture movements. Animal studies lead to a novel muscle function model that may revolutionize the field of muscle physiology, influence the design of prostheses, and improve the efficiency of electric motors.

Thrill to Drill in the Chill -- See sample sediment and rock cores. This is an illustration of work conducted by a team of scientists, who will drill a meteorite impact lake called El'gygytgyn Crater Lake in north eastern Russia in 2009 to recover a continuous 3.6 million-year-long record of Arctic climate change.

For more information, please email Budget_Rollout@nsf.gov.

-NSF-

Media Contacts
Bobbie Mixon, NSF (703) 292-8485 bmixon@nsf.gov
Dana Cruikshank, NSF (703) 292-7738 dcruiksh@nsf.gov

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering, with an annual budget of $6.06 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to over 1,900 universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives about 45,000 competitive requests for funding, and makes over 11,500 new funding awards. NSF also awards over $400 million in professional and service contracts yearly.

Useful NSF Web Sites:
NSF Home Page: http://www.nsf.gov
NSF News: http://www.nsf.gov/news/
For the News Media: http://www.nsf.gov/news/newsroom.jsp
Science and Engineering Statistics: http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/
Awards Searches: http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/