National Science Foundation

Also known as NSF, N.S.F., United States National Science Foundation, U.S. National Science Foundation, US National Science Foundation

United States government agency

Key facts

Formed: May 10, 1950 ; 76 years ago ( 1950-05-10 )
Headquarters: 2415 Eisenhower Ave., Alexandria, Virginia , U.S.
Motto: Where Discoveries Begin
Employees: 1532 (as of 2025)
Annual budget: $8.75 billion for 2026
Agency executives: Vacant , Director Vacant , Deputy Director Karen A. Marrongelle, Chief Science Officer Brian Stone, Chief of Staff Linnea Avallone, Chief Officer of Research Facilities Vacant , Chief Information Officer (CIO)
Website: nsf .gov

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Official website: nsf.gov

Sources (15)

wikidata.org

Article

The United States National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health. With an annual budget of about $8.75 billion (fiscal year 2026), the NSF funds approximately 25% of all federally supported basic research conducted by the United States' colleges and universities. In some fields, such as mathematics, computer science, economics, and the social sciences, the NSF is the major source of federal backing.

NSF's director and deputy director are appointed by the president of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate, whereas the 24 president-appointed members of the National Science Board (NSB) do not require U.S. Senate confirmation. The director and deputy director are responsible for administration, planning, budgeting and day-to-day operations of the foundation, while the NSB meets six times a year to establish its overall policies.