Their efforts are being complicated by lack of consensus about how to interpret the commission's findings in areas such as the relationship of basic and applied science, grant allocations, science education, and NSF's role in developing a national science and technology policy. There has also been disagreement between NSB and NSF director Walter E. Massey over the role the science board should play in shaping specific agency policy initiatives.
Following are excerpts from the report, "A Foundation for the 21st Century: A Progressive Framework for the National Science Foundation," prepared by the National Science Board's Commission on the Future of the National Science Foundation. The report was released on Nov. 20, 1992. "Despite having only about three percent of the total federal R&D budget, the NSF has for over 40 years played an essential role in the scientific primacy of the United States.... "An important national priority is to improve ...
