Overview of the National Science Foundation

The National Science Foundation (NSF), a federal agency with an annual budget of nearly $7 billion (2010), funds roughly 20% of federally supported basic research carried out at U.S. colleges and universities.

A Director, Deputy Director, and members of the National Science Board (NSB), all of whom are appointed by the U.S. President, oversee the agency. The NSF is organized much like an academic institution. There are seven directorates (analogous to colleges within a university), several divisions (think departments) within each directorate, and many programs within each division.
This schematic illustrates the organization of the NSF:

The Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships (IIP) in the Directorate for Engineering exemplifies the breadth of NSF funding initiatives. Within IPP, there are several programs targeting industry members and investors, K-12 educators, and not-for-profits. The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program provides seed money for high-risk, high-reward ventures, while the Industry University Cooperative Research Centers (IUCRC) develop long-term partnerships among industry, academe, and government. Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) promote innovation by interfacing academia, state and local government, nonprofit, and private sector firms to work collaboratively on a research topic. At the NSF, funding opportunities exist for scientists at all career stages, in a wide variety of job sectors.

Currently, there are more than 2,000 employees working at the NSF headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. Slightly more than half are permanent employees, while roughly 200 scientists from research institutions are on temporary duty (e.g. professors on sabbatical) and 450 are contract workers.

The NSF hires scientists, engineers, and educators on rotational assignment from academia and industry to strengthen the agency’s ties with the research community. The Visiting Scientist, Engineer, and Educator (VSEE) Program and the Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) Program are the primary programs through which rotator positions are established. These assignments are 1–4 years in duration, affording science professionals an opportunity to review and evaluate grants and initiate new funding programs, among other things.

Obtaining a permanent senior position at the NSF (e.g. Program Director) typically requires six or more years of professional experience after having completed a PhD. There are other paths that lead to employment at the NSF, namely internships and fellowships, such as the Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program or the AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships. More to come on policy fellowships… stay tuned!