NSF Deputy's Departure Forces President To Look Ahead

WASHINGTON--Deputy Director John Moore has left the National Science Foundation to become professor of economics and director of the International Institute at nearby George Mason University. His decision, in addition to creating a vacancy that President Bush must fill, may force the administration to speed up its timetable for deciding who will lead the science foundation in the 1990s. Moore, 54, holds an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering and a Ph.D. in economics. The former associate director of the Hoover Institute, Moore was appointed to NSF in 1985 by President Reagan, who in 1982 had selected him to serve on the National Science Board. His move to George Mason will keep intact Moore's ties to many of the conservative figures that have set the agenda for both Republican administrations in the 1980s. At the same time, it gives the White House a chance to put its own stamp on NSF: With Director Erich Bloch's six-year term ending in August, the Bush administration must now think about filling both of the foundation's presidentially appointed slots. "The deputy's position has no fixed term," says Moore. "But as a political appointee, you have to realize that your job will eventually come to an end. With the director's term due to expire in August, who knows what might happen? At the same time, this was a very interesting opportunity." Some observers expect the Bush administration to delay naming a permanent successor to Moore until it settles on someone for the top slot. There is widespread speculation that Bloch will not serve a second term, although the supposed reasons vary. Some say that Bloch wouldn't be happy playing second fiddle on science policy to the expanded presence of presidential science adviser Allan Bromley, while others say Bloch is weary of defending his budget before a Congress that repeatedly trims his requested double-digit increases. There is also talk that the administration could reward him for loyal service with another post. On the other hand, observers note that Bloch clearly enjoys his job as NSF director, and they acknowledge his success in persuading the administration to push for a doubling of NSF's budget over a five-year period. Bloch has said repeatedly that he serves at the pleasure of the president and that he's too busy as NSF director to think about his future. All this uncertainty increases concern about who will fill the No. 2 slot. Although a temporary solution may well be an acting deputy, a formal nomination could signal the administration's views on where the foundation is headed. One important criterion will be the background of the nominee. "I don't think that the disciplinary area is especially important," says Roland Schmitt, president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a former chairman of the National Science Board. "But it's vital that he or she be someone with a broad understanding of the academic scene. Although an academic background per se isn't essential, it would certainly make the academic world a little more comfortable." One important focus for Moore was his efforts to strengthen NSF's international activities. He says that this role evolved from his own interest in the subject and because of the growing need for NSF to maintain strong ties with Europe, Japan, and other burgeoning scientific powers. Those issues are not likely to disappear, says Mary Clutter, NSF assistant director for the biological, behavioral, and social sciences. "He provided NSF with strong leadership in this area, and initiated things that need to be followed up. What we really need is a John Moore clone." For his part, Moore says that a deputy director must be someone "who can move quickly and easily from one subject to another, and who is compatible with the director." And he brushes aside concern that the administration's slow pace at filling other top scientific positions - in health, energy, and technology policy, for instance - augurs a similar fate for NSF. "Everyone is aware that I'm leaving," he says, "and that there's the need for continued strong leadership at NSF."

NSF Deputy's Departure Forces President To Look Ahead

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