August 2017

The National Science Board (NSB), which sets priorities in consultation with the National Science Foundation (NSF), held its summer meeting on August 15 and 16.

In her opening remarks, NSF Director France Córdova provided an update on recent high-level activities, including a meeting with Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY) that led to NSF Chief Operating Officer Joan Ferrini-Mundy’s involvement with the Shaping Our Appalachian Region summit earlier in August. NSB members also highlighted some of their meetings with congressional offices.

The NSB heard updates on several NSF-supported projects at the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). Fay Lomax Cook, the assistant director of the NSF Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE) Directorate, detailed the findings from the recent report, The Value of Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences to National Priorities: A Report for the National Science Foundation.  Cook noted that in response to the recommendation made in the report, SBE will be undergoing a strategic planning process that will allow for stakeholder input and incorporate what other agencies have done. 

Fae Korsmo, senior advisor at NSF, presented the relevant findings from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) consensus report Fostering Integrity in Research. Korsmo reported that actions that NSF will be taking in response include: reminding the research community of NSF’s research integrity policy, supporting research in this area, and developing written guidelines and templates.

Research integrity also was raised during the meeting in a discussion on the Office of Inspector General’s Review of Institutions’ Implementation of NSF’s Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Requirements. NSF Inspector General Allison Lerner highlighted the results of the review and provided best practices at institutions for RCR training. The recommendation of guidelines from the NASEM report will also help in determining quality of RCR training.

The National Science Board’s next meeting is November 8–9, 2017.

The NSB is also accepting nominations for its 2018–2024 cohort. Additional information regarding the nomination process and a link to the submissions portal are included on the NSB website. The deadline to submit nominations is September 8.