Tough Choices Face Next Head Of NSF

As six-year term ends, Bloch wins praise for raising NSF's profile, but questions remain on how to set priorities WASHINGTON -- You won't see this advertisement in the classified section of any newspaper or magazine. But it describes the type of person that the scientific community hopes will become the next director of the National Science Foundation. The six-year term of the current office holder, Erich Bloch, expires this coming August, and - although there has been no official announcemen

Jeffrey Mervis

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As six-year term ends, Bloch wins praise for raising NSF's profile, but questions remain on how to set priorities

WASHINGTON -- You won't see this advertisement in the classified section of any newspaper or magazine. But it describes the type of person that the scientific community hopes will become the next director of the National Science Foundation.

The six-year term of the current office holder, Erich Bloch, expires this coming August, and - although there has been no official announcement - OSTP director Allan Bromley has begun a low-keyed but aggressive search for his successor, who is appointed by the president and must be confirmed by the Senate.

Already, several scientific societies have drafted letters containing the names of people that they would like to see on any short list of candidates. And Bromley says he has asked Mary Good, senior vice president for technology at Allied-Signal Inc. and president ...

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