WASHINGTON—NSF's proposed science and technology centers should not be required to obtain industry support nor to encompass more than one discipline, according to a new report by the National Academy of Sciences. Funding should be ended after nine years, the report suggested, and the pro gram should not be supported at the expense of grants to individual investigators if NSF's budget fails to grow as quickly as the administration has proposed.

The 11-member panel, chaired by chemist Richard Zare of Stan ford University, completed its re port in three months at the request of NSF Director Erich Bloch. The timing of the report, which complements a five-year plan being developed by staff that addresses the proper balance of funding at NSF, also reflects Bloch's desire to begin the program during the 1988 fiscal year that begins October 1.

Although the panel was asked to study the details of creating and...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

Receive full access to digital editions of The Scientist, as well as TS Digest, feature stories, more than 35 years of archives, and much more!