Visit NSF
NSF welcomes thousands of visitors a year. Should you need information not provided below, please contact our Visitor and Reception Center, either by phone at 703-292-5111, or by email, at info@nsf.gov.
The National Science Foundation's street address is 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, Virginia 22314.
NSF has instituted security measures to increase the safety of employees, contractors, and visitors, and to protect its facilities.
Read more about NSF Federal Security Screening.
U.S. Code prohibits bringing any dangerous weapons or alcohol onto Federal property. Security staff will confiscate any suspicious or potentially dangerous materials or alcohol. Visitors may want to limit extra bags or personal materials in order to minimize required inspection time.
Visitors access NSF via the Visitor Center entry adjacent to the south building entrance on Eisenhower Avenue (Map).
The Visitor Center's hours are 7:00 am - 4:30 pm Monday through Friday.
Access to the 2nd and 3rd floor Panel Conference Center is via an open stairway and dedicated elevators. Visitors who wish to access the building beyond the 3rd floor must be escorted by an NSF employee (staff or contractor) at all times.
Visitors are asked to check at the Visitor Center on the first floor to receive a visitor pass, before going on to meetings, appointments, or other business at the NSF. Visitors bringing computers into NSF should consult the NSF Computer Security Policy before arriving.
NSF asks visitors with special needs to request necessary accommodations in advance of their arrival.
NSF follows the REAL ID Act and requires all visitors to bring valid and current identification with an expiration date. Photocopies and pictures of IDs will not be accepted. If you do not have identification defined as secure by the REAL ID Act, please see Alternative IDs for NSF access.
Secure driver's licenses and identification documents are a vital component of our national security framework. The REAL ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005, enacted the 9/11 Commission's recommendation that the Federal Government "set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver's licenses." The Act established minimum security standards for license issuance and production and prohibits federal agencies from accepting, for certain purposes, driver's licenses and identification cards from states not meeting the Act's minimum standards. The purposes covered by the Act are: accessing Federal facilities, entering nuclear power plants, and, no sooner than 2016, boarding federally regulated commercial aircraft.
States and other jurisdictions have made significant progress in enhancing the security of their licenses over the last number of years. As a result, approximately 90% of all U.S. drivers hold licenses from jurisdictions: (1) determined to meet the Act's standards; or (2) that have received extensions. Individuals holding driver's licenses or identification cards from these jurisdiction may continue to use them as before.
The non-compliant states' extensions are currently variable. The National Science Foundation is monitoring the official DHS website to ensure we are providing our customers the latest information concerning the Real ID Act. You can research more about the Real ID Act by clicking on the following links:
Sponsoring offices must request passes for incoming visitors, and should notify visitors of NSF procedures, what to expect upon arrival, and what appropriate identification documents are required for registration.
This list of links serves as a center point of links to important information concerning Federal travel. This includes current Per Diem rates, Airfare, Currency Exchange Rates, and other topics of interest for NSF staff and visitors.
Travel Per Diem Rates
Foreign Currency Exchange Rates: Complete On-Line Government Travel Planning
Others
For detailed directions, choose an arrival point from the list below:
Federal employees who have a current PIV card issued by an agency other than NSF, and who regularly visit the foundation, can be enrolled into our physical access control system.
To take advantage of this agency reciprocity, NSF federal employees wishing to sponsor a colleague from another agency must fill out the NSF 1690 form, "Facility Access Questionnaire."
For more information, please contact NSF Security (security@nsf.gov) 703-292-7562.