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NSF PR 01-25 - April 9, 2001
Media contact:
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Bill Noxon
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(703) 292-8070
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wnoxon@nsf.gov
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Program contact:
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Tom Cooley
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(703) 292-8200
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tcooley@nsf.gov
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This material is available primarily
for archival purposes. Telephone numbers
or other contact information may be out
of date; please see current contact information
at media
contacts.
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NSF Requests $4.47 Billion for Fiscal 2002
The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced today
a $4.47 billion budget request for fiscal 2002 --
$56 million (1.3 percent) over 2001. The request highlights
a math and science education partnership, interdisciplinary
mathematics research and increased financial support
for graduate students. It also provides increased
funding for four multidisciplinary priority areas:
biocomplexity in the environment, nanoscale science
and engineering, information technology research,
and learning for the 21st century.
"People are the focus and most important product of
our investments," said NSF Director Rita Colwell.
"In the budget is a billion dollars next year for
programs focused directly on people. NSF's role in
the President's new Math and Science Partnerships
initiative will help both K-12 students and their
teachers reach higher performance standards."
The fiscal 2002 request focuses $20 million on interdisciplinary
mathematics to accelerate the expansion of mathematics
into the other disciplines, including biological and
social sciences, and to support fundamental research
in mathematics and statistics. The investment recognizes
mathematics as both a powerful tool for insight and
a common language for science and engineering.
The request also seeks a stipend increase for graduate
students, from $18,000 to $20,500 -- a move that Colwell
called "critical."
Within the priority areas, NSF plans a 16 percent
increase for nanoscale science and engineering research,
continuing its lead role in the multi-agency effort;
a 5.9 percent increase for biocomplexity in the environment;
a 5 percent increase for information technology research;
and a 3.3 percent increase for learning for the 21st
century.
The agency will continue research in plant genomics
at a level of $65 million in 2002. This research will
support a long-term goal of understanding plant structure,
organization and function, leading to important developments
in agriculture, the environment, energy and health.
NSF will also provide more than $25.6 million to initiate
a new group of science and technology centers across
a broad range of disciplines.
In addition, NSF requests approximately $170 million
in 2002 for salaries and expenses -- an increase of
nearly 6 percent over 2001 -- to respond to mounting
pressures on staffing and resource management. A five-year
workforce plan due for completion later this year
will spell out future workforce needs of the agency.
See also:
For additional information about the NSF FY02 Budget
Request, see the budget
page.
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