Media Advisory 09-026
National Science Board to Meet at the Ohio State University on Sept. 24

Off-site meeting will include retreat, meetings with OSU faculty and researchers, and visits to NSF-funded research centers

NSB members will visit Ohio State's Thompson Library, now open after a three-year renovation. Credit and Larger Version

September 22, 2009

On September 24, the National Science Board (NSB) will meet to address science and engineering policy issues and oversight of the National Science Foundation (NSF) at the Ohio State University. The NSB meets five times annually with four of those meetings in Washington, D.C., and a fifth at a host institution each year. The NSB responded to an invitation from Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee.

While many of the NSB's sessions are closed, a public meeting will be held from 8-9:30 a.m. at the Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4H Center, Bob Evans Auditorium. The open meeting will include a discussion of NSB priorities for the next fiscal year, as well as reports from the NSB chairman and committees.

"Given that the National Science Board plays such a key role in advising U.S. science and engineering policy, we are elated that they decided on Ohio State as a venue for their meeting," explained Caroline Whitacre, vice president for research at Ohio State.

"This is a chance for board members to learn about the exceptional research underway here while they conduct their own business."

NSB members will seize the opportunity to visit NSF-funded research programs and to meet scientists engaged in research in a variety of fields. On campus, they will meet with researchers and visit Ohio State's Center of Science and Industry (COSI) and its Center for Automative Research, as well as its newly renovated Thompson Library. They will step off campus to visit the Metro Early College High School, in order to further efforts to improve Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education in the U.S. and to better meet the STEM education needs of our students http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/stem/index.jsp.

Kathryn Sullivan, former NASA astronaut and director of the Battelle Center for Mathematics & Science Education Policy at Ohio State, is a current member of the NSB.

The full meeting agenda is posted at: http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/meetings/2009/0923/index.jsp.

Media representatives are invited to attend all open sessions, subject to provisions of the Government in the Sunshine Act.

Journalists interested in attending and covering the board meeting and/or interviewing NSF/NSB officials, should contact Lisa-Joy Zgorski at 202-285-7396 (cell).

The NSB is the 25-member policymaking body for the National Science Foundation and advisory body to the President and Congress on science and engineering issues. Drawn from universities and industry, and representing a variety of science and engineering disciplines and geographic areas, NSB members are selected for their eminence in research, education, or public service, and records of distinguished service. The NSB has 24 members that serve six-year terms. The 25^th member is the NSF Director, an ex officio member of the NSB. For more background on the NSB and its current composition, visit: http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/about/index.jsp.

-NSF-

Media Contacts
Lisa-Joy Zgorski, NSF (703) 292-8311 lisajoy@nsf.gov
Earle Holland, Ohio State University (614) 292-8384 holland.8@osu.edu

Program Contacts
Kim L. Silverman, NSB (703) 292-4515 ksilverm@nsf.gov

Related Websites
National Science Board: http://www.nsf.gov/nsb
OSU Thompson Library Reopens After Extensive Renovations: http://www.osu.edu/features/2009/library/

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. In fiscal year (FY) 2012, its budget is $7.0 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and other institutions. Each year, NSF receives over 50,000 competitive requests for funding, and makes about 11,000 new funding awards. NSF also awards nearly $420 million in professional and service contracts yearly.

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Useful NSB Web Sites:
Home Page: http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/
Highlights: http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/news/highlights.jsp
Press Releases: http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/news/press_release.jsp
Media Advisories: http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/news/media_advisories.jsp
Interviews: http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/news/interviews.jsp
Media Contact: http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/staff/staff_bio.jsp?lan=lzgorski
Topics of Interest: http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/topics/