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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 28, 2004
Contact: Ryan Watson, (202) 347-3190
April 28, 2004 - Washington, DC
- The National Science Foundation should place greater emphasis
on innovation in its merit-based grant review process and
more aggressively support research that cuts across disciplinary
boundaries, according to a National Academy of Public Administration
Panel. Focusing on innovative research spanning many scientific
and engineering disciplines is key to effectively supporting
the nation's scientific research and education, the Panel
found. The Panel also stressed the importance of improving
the scientific and engineering communities' understanding
of priority setting and resource allocation processes within
NSF.
NSF is charged with unique and vitally
important roles: to advance the nation's scientific and engineering
research and education, and to set scientific policy priorities.
NSF functions well in those roles, but it must make unmistakably
clear the fact that innovation and interdisciplinary research
are invaluable to our nation's scientific development, according
to the Panel.
The Panel recognized the unique role
of the National Science Board as the policy-setting component
of NSF. It concluded that-although the NSB does not have an
exclusive franchise to establish national scientific policy-it
should "apply its members' unique combination of experience
and expertise to strengthen U.S. scientific and engineering
research efforts and education programs…by providing
information and advice to the President, Congress, and the
scientific community."
The National Academy of Public Administration
is a non-profit organization chartered by Congress to provide
advice on management and governance. Panel members included
John Callahan, Visiting Professor of Public Policy, University
of Baltimore; Charles E. Hess, former Vice Chair and Member
of the National Science Board; Stephen Horn, Panel Chair and
former Congressman, U.S. House of Representatives; Neal Lane,
former NSF Director; Thomas H. Stanton, Attorney-at-Law; and
Cindy L. Williams, Senior Fellow, Security Studies Program,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
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