Investing in Americas Future

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Investing in Americas Future

• The National Science Foundation Strategic Plan
  for FY 2006-2011

Craig Robinson, Ph.D. Senior Advisor (BFA/BD)
Advisory Committee for Cyberinfrastructure 10/31/0
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NSF Strategic Plan Timeline
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Strategic Plan Development
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Whats New?

• Strategic Goal Names are Focused on Outcomes
• Each Strategic Goal has 3-5 Year Investment
  Priorities
• New Vision Stressing Discovery, Innovation,
  Education, Workforce, and Moving Beyond Current
  SE Frontiers
• Six Considerations for Future Major Investments
• Input Frequently Solicited, Received and Used
  from our Advisory Committees, NSB, NSF Staff,
  Academe, Professional Societies and the Public

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Examples of Changes Based Upon Input (staff, ACs,
NSB and public)
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Examples of Changes Based Upon Input (staff, ACs,
NSB and public)

• Vision (New)
• Advancing discovery, innovation and education
  beyond the frontiers of current knowledge, and
  empowering future generations in science and
  engineering.

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Mission Unchanged

• Mission (NSF Act of 1950)
• To promote the progress of science to advance
  the national health, prosperity, and welfare to
  secure the national defense.

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Plan Sections

• Introduction Strategic Planning in a Changing
  Landscape
• Mission and Core Values
• Vision and Goals
• Investment Priorities
• Translating the Plan into Action
• Appendix Expert Evaluations and Assessments

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NSF in a Changing Landscape

• The NSF Strategic Plan responds to the
• Emerging new modes of inquiry and new tools for
  investigation

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NSF in a Changing Landscape

• The NSF Strategic Plan responds to the
• Globally increasing pace, scope, and impact of
  fundamental science and engineering
• Discoveries are emerging at an accelerating pace
• Reduced time from initial basic research to
  application
• SE addressing global questions of significant
  societal importance (e.g. epidemics, natural
  disasters, alternative energy sources) requiring
  international collaborations
• Escalating need to improve STEM education and
  technical workforce development
• Bringing new discoveries into classrooms
• Developing a scientifically and technically
  literate workforce
• Build capacity in the workforce for productive
  international collaborations

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American Competitiveness Initiative significantly
changed the future budget estimates for NSF
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Strategic Goals
Four NSF-Wide Goals
Discovery Advancing frontiers of knowledge
Learning SE workforce and scientific literacy
Research Infrastructure Advanced
instrumentation and facilities
Stewardship Supporting excellence in SE research
and education
Build the nations research capability through
critical investments in advanced instrumentation,
facilities, cyberinfrastructure and experimental
tools.
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Interrelated Strategic Outcome Goals
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Links Between ACI and NSF Strategic Goals
American Competitiveness Initiative
(ACI) Fundamental Research Transformative
Facilities Infrastructure 21st Century Workforce
NSF Strategic Goals Discovery Research
Infrastructure Learning
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Future Investment Considerations

• Process of balancing investments among several
  factors (in alphabetical order)
• Alignment with mission, vision, goals and
  objectives
• Budget balance investments with funding levels
• Integration of research with education
• Leveraging collaborations create a variety of
  opportunities for national and international
  collaboration
• Potential for impact and transformation
• Urgency and readiness capture timely
  opportunities

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STRATEGIC PLAN FY06-FY11
NSF VISION Advancing discovery, innovation, and
education beyond the frontiers of current
knowledge, and empowering future generations in
science and engineering.
MISSION To promote the progress of science to
advance the national health, prosperity, and
welfare to secure the national defense (NSF Act
of 1950)
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Example Investment Priorities

• (Discovery) Advance fundamental research in
  computational science and engineering to
  power the use of next-generation
  cyberinfrastructure and networking (pages 6-7)
• (Learning) Integrate research with education, and
  build capacity. utilize advanced
  cyberinfrastructure to transform the way we
  learn, teach and prepare an IT-literate workforce
  (pages 7-8).

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Example Investment Priorities

• (Research Infrastructure) Develop a
  comprehensive, integrated cyberinfrastructure to
  drive discovery in all fields of science and
  engineering. (page 9)
• (Stewardship) Reach out to the various
  communities we serve, especially through the use
  of cyberinfrastructure-enabled communications.
  (page 11)

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Strategic Planning and Performance An Ongoing
Process

• In evaluating progress against this plan as well
  as looking toward the next, NSF will continue
  listening to and seeking feedback from
• The National Science Board
• Our Advisory Committees
• Our staff
• The science, engineering and education community
• The public