§ 1862. Functions

§ 1862. Functions

(a) Initiation and support of studies and programs; scholarships; current register of scientific and engineering personnel The Foundation is authorized and directed—

(1) to initiate and support basic scientific research and programs to strengthen scientific research potential and science education programs at all levels in the mathematical, physical, medical, biological, social, and other sciences, and to initiate and support research fundamental to the engineering process and programs to strengthen engineering research potential and engineering education programs at all levels in the various fields of engineering, by making contracts or other arrangements (including grants, loans, and other forms of assistance) to support such scientific, engineering, and educational activities and to appraise the impact of research upon industrial development and upon the general welfare;

(2) to award, as provided in section 1869 of this title, scholarships and graduate fellowships for study and research in the sciences or in engineering;

(3) to foster the interchange of scientific and engineering information among scientists and engineers in the United States and foreign countries;

(4) to foster and support the development and use of computer and other scientific and engineering methods and technologies, primarily for research and education in the sciences and engineering;

(5) to evaluate the status and needs of the various sciences and fields of engineering as evidenced by programs, projects, and studies undertaken by agencies of the Federal Government, by individuals, and by public and private research groups, employing by grant or contract such consulting services as it may deem necessary for the purpose of such evaluations; and to take into consideration the results of such evaluations in correlating the research and educational programs undertaken or supported by the Foundation with programs, projects, and studies undertaken by agencies of the Federal Government, by individuals, and by public and private research groups;

(6) to provide a central clearinghouse for the collection, interpretation, and analysis of data on scientific and engineering resources and to provide a source of information for policy formulation by other agencies of the Federal Government;

(7) to initiate and maintain a program for the determination of the total amount of money for scientific and engineering research, including money allocated for the construction of the facilities wherein such research is conducted, received by each educational institution and appropriate nonprofit organization in the United States, by grant, contract, or other arrangement from agencies of the Federal Government, and to report annually thereon to the President and the Congress; and

(8) to take a leading role in fostering and supporting research and education activities to improve the security of networked information systems.

(b) Contracts, grants, loans, etc., for scientific and engineering activities; financing of programs The Foundation is authorized to initiate and support specific scientific and engineering activities in connection with matters relating to international cooperation, national security, and the effects of scientific and engineering applications upon society by making contracts or other arrangements (including grants, loans, and other forms of assistance) for the conduct of such activities. When initiated or supported pursuant to requests made by any other Federal department or agency, including the Office of Technology Assessment, such activities shall be financed whenever feasible from funds transferred to the Foundation by the requesting official as provided in section 1873(f) of this title, and any such activities shall be unclassified and shall be identified by the Foundation as being undertaken at the request of the appropriate official.

(c) Scientific and engineering research programs at academic and other nonprofit institutions; applied scientific and engineering research programs by Presidential directive; employment of consulting services; coordination of activities In addition to the authority contained in subsections (a) and (b), the Foundation is authorized to initiate and support scientific and engineering research, including applied research, at academic and other nonprofit institutions. When so directed by the President, the Foundation is further authorized to support, through other appropriate organizations, applied scientific research and engineering research relevant to national problems involving the public interest. In exercising the authority contained in this subsection, the Foundation may employ by grant or contract such consulting services as it deems necessary, and shall coordinate and correlate its activities with respect to any such problem with other agencies of the Federal Government undertaking similar programs in that field.

(d) Promotion of research and education in science and engineering The Board and the Director shall recommend and encourage the pursuit of national policies for the promotion of research and education in science and engineering.

(e) Balancing of research and educational activities in the sciences and engineering In exercising the authority and discharging the functions referred to in the foregoing subsections, it shall be an objective of the Foundation to strengthen research and education in the sciences and engineering, including independent research by individuals, throughout the United States, and to avoid undue concentration of such research and education.

(f) Annual report to the President and Congress The Foundation shall render an annual report to the President for submission on or before the 15th day of April of each year to the Congress summarizing the activities of the Foundation and making such recommendations as it may deem appropriate. Such report shall include information as to the acquisition and disposition by the Foundation of any patents and patent rights.

(g) Support of access to computer networks In carrying out subsection (a)(4), the Foundation is authorized to foster and support access by the research and education communities to computer networks which may be used substantially for purposes in addition to research and education in the sciences and engineering, if the additional uses will tend to increase the overall capabilities of the networks to support such research and education activities.

(May 10, 1950, ch. 171, § 3, 64 Stat. 149; Pub. L. 85–510, § 1, July 11, 1958, 72 Stat. 353; Pub. L. 86–232, § 1, Sept. 8, 1959, 73 Stat. 467; Pub. L. 90–407, § 1, July 18, 1968, 82 Stat. 360; Pub. L. 92–372, § 8, Aug. 10, 1972, 86 Stat. 528; Pub. L. 92–484, § 10(b), Oct. 13, 1972, 86 Stat. 802; Pub. L. 94–273, § 11(3), Apr. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 378; Pub. L. 95–99, § 12(a), formerly § 14(a), Aug. 15, 1977, 91 Stat. 835, renumbered § 12(a), Pub. L. 99–159, title I, § 109(h), Nov. 22, 1985, 99 Stat. 890; Pub. L. 99–159, title I, §§ 109(e)(2), 110(a)(1)–(11), Nov. 22, 1985, 99 Stat. 890, 891; Pub. L. 99–383, § 7(a), Aug. 21, 1986, 100 Stat. 814; Pub. L. 102–476, § 4, Oct. 23, 1992, 106 Stat. 2300; Pub. L. 102–588, title II, § 217, Nov. 4, 1992, 106 Stat. 5117; Pub. L. 105–207, title II, § 202(e), July 29, 1998, 112 Stat. 875; Pub. L. 107–305, § 7, Nov. 27, 2002, 116 Stat. 2375.)

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2002—Subsec. (a)(8). Pub. L. 107–305 added par. (8).

1998—Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 105–207 struck out the subsec. (g) enacted by Pub. L. 102–588. See 1992 Amendment note below.

1992—Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 102–476 and Pub. L. 102–588 amended section identically, adding subsec. (g).

1986—Subsec. (a)(6). Pub. L. 99–383 amended par. (6) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (6) read as follows: “to maintain a current register of scientific and engineering personnel, and in other ways to provide a central clearinghouse for the collection, interpretation, and analysis of data on the availability of, and the current and projected need for, scientific and engineering resources in the United States, and to provide a source of information for policy formulation by other agencies of the Federal Government; and”.

1985—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 99–159, § 110(a)(1), struck out “engineering,” after “biological,” and inserted provisions relating to research fundamental to the engineering process, engineering programs, and engineering activities.

Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 99–159, § 110(a)(2), substituted “for study and research in the sciences or in engineering” for “in the mathematical, physical, medical, biological, engineering, social, and other sciences”.

Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 99–159, § 110(a)(3), inserted applicability to engineering and engineers.

Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 99–159, § 110(a)(4), inserted applicability to engineering.

Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 99–159, § 110(a)(5), inserted applicability to fields of engineering.

Subsec. (a)(6). Pub. L. 99–159, § 110(a)(6), substituted “engineering” for “technical” in two places.

Subsec. (a)(7). Pub. L. 99–159, § 110(a)(7), inserted applicability to engineering.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 99–159, §§ 109(e)(2), 110(a)(8), inserted reference to engineering in two places and substituted “1873(f)” for “1873(g)”.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 99–159, § 110(a)(9), inserted applicability to engineering research.

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 99–159, § 110(a)(10), substituted “research and education in science and engineering” for “basic research and education in the sciences”.

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 99–159, § 110(11), inserted applicability to engineering.

1977—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 95–99 substituted “an objective” for “one of the objectives”.

1976—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 94–273 substituted “April” for “January”.

1972—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 92–372 inserted support of science education programs at all levels to the functions of the Foundation and substituted “scientific and educational activities” for “scientific activities”.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 92–484 inserted provisions authorizing the Foundation to initiate and support specific scientific activities in connection with matters relating to the effects of scientific applications upon society, and substituted provisions relating to the initiation or support pursuant to requests of activities by any other Federal department or agency, including the Office of Technology Assessment, for provisions relating to the initiation or support pursuant to requests of activities by the Secretary of State or Secretary of Defense.

1968—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 90–407 redesignated par. (2) as (1) and added social sciences to the enumerated list of sciences. Former par. (1) redesignated subsec. (d).

Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 90–407 redesignated par. (4) as (2) and added social sciences to the enumerated list of sciences. Former par. (2) redesignated (1).

Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 90–407 redesignated par. (5) as (3). Former par. (3) redesignated subsec. (b).

Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 90–407 added par. (4). Former par. (4) redesignated subsec. (a)(2).

Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 90–407 redesignated par. (6) as (5) and provided for the employment of consulting services, by grant or contract, to assist in the evaluation of the status and needs of the various sciences as evidenced by the programs and studies undertaken by agencies of the government, by individuals, and by public and private research groups, and provided for the consideration of the results of such evaluations in the correlation of the Foundation’s programs with those undertaken by agencies of the government, as well as those undertaken by individuals and by public and private research groups. Former par. (5) redesignated (3).

Subsec. (a)(6). Pub. L. 90–407 redesignated par. (8) as (6) and provided that the register of scientific and technical personnel shall be current, and authorized the Foundation to analyze and interpret the collected data on the availability of, and the current and projected need for, scientific and technical resources in the United States and to make such information available to other agencies of the government for policy formulation. Former par. (6) redesignated (5).

Subsec. (a)(7). Pub. L. 90–407 added par. (7). Former par. (7), which provided for the establishment of such special commissions as the Board may from to time deem necessary for the purposes of this chapter, was struck out.

Subsec. (a)(8). Pub. L. 90–407 redesignated par. (8) as (6).

Subsec. (a)(9). Pub. L. 90–407 struck out par. (9) which authorized the Foundation to initiate and support a program of study, research, and evaluation in the field of weather modification, with particular attention to areas experiencing floods, drought, etc., and to report annually to the President and the Congress thereon.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 90–407 redesignated former subsec. (a)(3) as (b) and substituted provisions authorizing the Foundation to initiate and support specific scientific activities in matters related to international cooperation or national security for provisions authorizing the Foundation to initiate and support only scientific research activities, only in matters related to national defense and only when requested to do so by the Secretary of Defense, and inserted provisions specifying the manner of financing such scientific activities. Former subsec. (b) redesignated (e).

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 90–407 added subsec. (c). Former subsec. (c) redesignated (f).

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 90–407 redesignated former subsec. (a)(1) as (d) and substituted provisions authorizing the Board and the Director to recommend and encourage national policies promoting basic research and education in the sciences for provisions authorizing and directing the Foundation to develop and encourage such policies.

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 90–407 redesignated former subsec. (b) as (e), substituted “the foregoing subsections” for “subsection (a) of this section”, “strengthen research” for “strengthen basic research”, and struck out reference to the territories and possessions of the United States.

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 90–407 redesignated former subsec. (c) as (f) and struck out provision requiring the report to include the minority views and recommendations if any, of members of the Board.

1959—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 86–232 clarified the Foundation’s authority to support programs to strengthen scientific research potential.

1958—Subsec. (a)(9). Pub. L. 85–510 added par. (9).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Transfer of National Science Foundation Programs

For transfer of all programs relating to science education of the National Science Foundation or the Director thereof under this chapter, with certain exceptions, to the Secretary of Education, see section 3444 of Title 20, Education.

Management of the U.S. Antarctic Program