Friday, 11 September 1992 Washington, DC

1. THE SPECIAL COMMISSION ON THE FUTURE OF NSF HAS BEEN APPOINTED

by James Duderstadt, chair of the National Science Board. The Commission was established at the request of Walter Massey, NSF director, to aid in the Foundation's long-range planning process. William Danforth, the chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis, and Robert Galvin, former CEO of Motorola, will serve as co-chairs of the 15-member commission. Danforth is an MD, Galvin is a lawyer. The other members are: Jacqueline Barton, professor of chemistry at Cal Tech; Lindy Boggs, former US Representative from Louisiana; Lewis Branscomb, professor of public service at Harvard; Peter Eisenberger, director of the Materials Institute at Princeton; Marye Anne Fox, chemistry professor at University of Texas; C. Peter Magrath, president, National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges; Ruben Mettler, former CEO of TRW; Percy Pierre, research VP at Michigan State; Frank Rhodes, president of Cornell; Earl Richardson, president, Morgan State University; Ian Ross, president emeritus of AT&T Bell Labs; William Rutter, CEO, Chiron Corp.; and Donna Shalala, chancellor University of Wisconsin. Fox, Rhodes and Ross are NSB members.

2. WHATEVER THE NSB COMMISSION DOES, IT'S GOING TO DO IT FAST!

The first of three open meetings will take place next Thursday, 17 Sept 92, and the commission's report is due in late November. Written comments on how NSF can do more to link academic science with industry must reach the Commission by 15 Oct 92. That leaves scant opportunity to debate an issue of such profound importance to American science. Massey suggests that it may be time for NSF to "accept a major role in fostering links between research and technology." The question is not whether the US needs a National Competitiveness Agency, but whether NSF should be that agency.

3. MEANWHILE, THE SENATE PASSED A VA/HUD/IA APPROPRIATIONS BILL.

The accompanying report language calls for the very changes in the role of NSF that Massey recommends in his discussion paper to the NSB (WN 28 Aug 92), but the NSF director would prefer to let the Commission do its thing first. His concern was shared by APS President Ernest Henley and Vice President Burton Richter, who wrote to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee chair, Barbara Mikulski. They asked that the language mandating a new role for NSF be deleted from the report in conference with the House, and replaced with language taking note of the NSB planning process and asking for a report on the results about a year from now.

4. AFTER 8 YEARS, THE ROLE OF "WHAT'S NEW" IS ALSO BEING REVIEWED

Suggestions for changes in coverage or format are welcome. One proposal under consideration would be to include a disclaimer in every issue to the effect that subtly disguised editorial opinion and commentary, which occasionally creeps into WN's coverage of events, is the sole responsibility of the hot head that writes this junk. We currently include such a warning once a year.

Bob Park can be reached via email at whatsnew@bobpark.org

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
Opinions are the author's and are not necessarily shared by the University, but they should be.