An invaluable vehicle for international collaboration

Abstract

Collaboration is key to discovery and the National Science Foundation (NSF) is an example of a vehicle that is crucial to the scientific community as it facilitates international collaboration. It is a federal agency that was set up in 1950 and invests in basic research across the spectrum to support discovery and innovation. In the NSF's Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Performance and Financial Highlights report Director Sethuraman Panchanathan said that the agency is 'the Nation's preeminent source of federal funding for basic research in computer science, engineering, biology, the social sciences, mathematics, geosciences, the physical sciences, and education'. NSF has an annual budget of around US$8.3 billion and a broad reach, directly supporting an estimated 313,000 people in 2020. This support assisted researchers, postdoctoral fellows, trainees, teachers and students in bringing their ideas to life and, ultimately, moving closer to real-world impacts with the potential to solve societal challenges. Discovery, learning and research infrastructure are NSF's key strategic goals and it places emphasis on diverse, interdisciplinary and international collaborations in order to extend its reach as far as possible and invests in research connected to learning, innovation and service to society. Assistant directors head up NSF's seven sections; each one intended to support research and education in science and engineering. The sections are: biological sciences, computer and information science and engineering, engineering, geosciences, mathematical and physical sciences, social, behavioural and economic sciences, and education and human resources. In 2020, $8.4 billion funding was awarded by NSF to 1,900 colleges, universities and other institutions.