Contact:
Kelly Layman
Executive Director of Communications
850-245-0466
Kelly.Layman@flbog.edu
News
10/13/2011
PRESS RELEASE: Florida Board of Governors co-hosting National Science Foundation workshop for researchers, educators in January 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – October 13, 2011
Media-only contact: Kelly Layman, Kelly.Layman@flbog.edu, 850-245-0466
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—As the Florida Board of Governors devotes resources and talent to achieve and sustain efforts that will make Florida an international leader in knowledge-based innovation economies – which includes but is not limited to “STEM” degrees (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) – it is well-known that research at all levels in the State University System often leads to successful market commercialization of discoveries by faculty and students.
The Board of Governors is co-sponsoring a workshop with the National Science Foundation (NSF) on Jan. 12 in Orlando to further increase the competitiveness and success of Florida-based researchers.
The State University System of Florida has maintained its Top 4 national ranking among public institutions for total R&D expenditures for several years. The latest ranking, FY 2009-10, is based on data from the National Science Foundation’s own Annual Survey of Research and Development Expenditures at Universities and Colleges. The ranking is based on the State University System of Florida’s tabulation of more than $1.6 billion in annual research expenditures – an amount that reflects remarkable growth of more than 30 percent just in the past five to six years.
While the workshop agenda is primarily designed for researchers and educators who have limited experience in making proposals to the NSF, more experienced proposers and NSF grantees can interact with NSF representatives who will be presenters and be available during breakout sessions for informal discussions of potential research proposals.
The workshop is open to personnel not just from the State University System of Florida but those from any public and private college or university in Florida. The day-long workshop will cover the NSF’s priorities and budget, and details about the merit review process.
All seven of the NSF’s “directorates” that support science and engineering research and education will be represented at the workshop: Biological Sciences; Computer and Information Science and Engineering; Engineering; Geosciences; Mathematics and Physical Sciences; Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences; and Education and Human Resources.
“The National Science Foundation partnership with the State University System of Florida is vital because, alltold, it funds about 20 percent of all federally supported research conducted by America’s colleges and universities – and in many fields and research projects, the NSF is the major source of federal backing,” said State University System Chancellor Frank T. Brogan, who will participate in the workshop.
The NSF is an independent U.S. government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. It is Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health. The NSF was created by Congress in 1950 “to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense… .” Its director and all 24 Board members serve six-year terms. Each of them, as well as the deputy director, is appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
The NSF chiefly issues limited-term grants – currently about 10,000 new awards a year – with an average duration of three years. Grants fund specific research proposals that have been judged the most promising by a rigorous and objective merit-review system. Awards are provided to a spectrum of recipients – from one-person projects and small teams, to major facilities or multi-facility projects.
Many discoveries and technological advances supported by the NSF have been revolutionary, and NSF-funded researchers have won more than 180 Nobel Prizes.
Agenda and registration information for eligible educators can be found here: https://www.boghome.net:4443/NSFDay.
For more information about R&D and discovery-to-market accomplishments in the State University System, see the 2010 Annual Report of the Board of Governors: www.flbog.edu (link from home page).
For more about the NSF, see www.nsf.gov.
MEDIA ONLY: Please contact me between Dec. 1 and Dec. 16 for credentialing information and logistics…. do not submit a registration form. Thanks. –KL
About the State University System of Florida
The State University System of Florida is governed by a 17-member Board of Governors, a constitutional body and led by appointed public servants. The System is comprised of 11 institutions with a total enrollment of more than 320,000 students, making it the fourth-largest public university system in the nation in terms of enrollment (some states have more than one university system). The Florida Constitution (Article IX, Section 7) was amended by the state's voters in 2002 to establish a statewide system of governance for all Florida public universities. As a result, the Florida Board of Governors was created in 2003 to oversee the State University System of Florida. Responsibilities include defining the distinctive mission of each institution and ensuring the well-planned coordination and operation of the System. The Board’s 17 members include 14 appointed by the Governor, with three serving by virtue of their designations (a faculty member, a Florida Student Association student representative, and the Florida Commissioner of Education). The Board of Governors appoints a Chancellor who serves as the chief executive and administrative officer of the State University System. For more, including the Board’s Annual Report that reflects accountability measurements and benchmarks occurring at each institution, see www.flbog.edu.
