NATIONAL SCIENCE BOARD
May 2020

Report #: NSB-2020-15 

Cover Photo Credit:

Getty Images

VISION 2030

2 VISION 2030 VISION 2030 3
The U.S. has 

created an accessible, 

attractive S&E 

enterprise that more 

closely reflects the 

nation’s demographic 

and geographic 

diversity.

The U.S. has 

increased STEM 

skills in its workforce, 

creating more 

opportunities for 

all Americans.

NSF continues to 

drive U.S innovation 

through fundamental 

research and lead the 

evolution of the global 

practice of science 

and engineering.

U.S. scientists 

and engineers 

are modeling 

scientific values 

that are practiced 

throughout 

the world.

The U.S. has 

made the investments 

needed to fuel an 

innovation economy 

and remain preeminent 

in science and 

engineering.

The U.S. 

remains a 

magnet for the 

world’s best 

talent. 

U.S. government, 

industry, and academic 

partners are working 

in coordination to 

realize national R&D 

priorities and accelerate 

the discovery-toinnovation cycle.

V I S I O N 

FO R T H E 

FUTURE

This report lays out what the National Science Board 

believes the U.S. must do to achieve this vision and remain 

the world innovation leader in 2030. 

4 VISION 2030 VISION 2030

5
GLOBALIZATION OF S&E

S&E is now a truly worldwide enterprise, 

with more players and opportunities, from 

which humanity’s collective knowledge is 

growing rapidly. This dynamic research and 

development (R&D) landscape is characterized 

by interdependence as well as competition. 

While the U.S. S&E enterprise continues to 

grow in absolute terms, the data show that 

the global S&E enterprise is growing faster 

and consequently the U.S. share of discovery 

is dropping (see Figure 1). The U.S., which led 

the world in total R&D investment for decades, 

likely ceded this status to China in 2019. If 

these trends continue, NSB projects that China 

will invest over $200 billion a year more in R&D 

than the U.S. by 2030. A bright spot amongst 

these concerning trends is that the U.S. has a 

significant lead in fundamental research – the 

seed corn for America’s entire S&E enterprise.

1

KEY QUESTION: How can America keep 

its lead in fundamental research? 

GROWTH OF KNOWLEDGEAND TECHNOLOGYINTENSIVE INDUSTRIES

Global R&D investments have tripled since 

2000, reflecting increased activity and 

competition in knowledge- and technologyintensive industries.2

 In the U.S. such industries 

account for 17% of Gross Domestic Product 

and generate $2.7 trillion in output, outpacing 

any other sector.

3

 Today’s R&D intensive 

industries exist, in part, because of discoveries 

arising from basic research that the federal 

government funded decades ago, well before 

the research had a known application. Although 

inflation-adjusted federal basic research 

expenditures are only slightly lower in 2017 

than in 2000,

4

 the share of basic research 

that is federally funded declined from 58% 

to 42% during that period. Basic research 

across all fields of S&E, performed primarily at 

colleges and universities and funded by federal 

investments, is an important innovation engine 

that fuels subsequent research across the 

S&E ecosystem, by both private industry and 

mission-oriented agencies such as NASA and 

the Department of Defense.

KEY QUESTION: How can American 

discoveries continue to empower U.S. 

businesses and entrepreneurs to 

succeed globally?

DEMAND FOR STEM TALENT

Worldwide demand for STEM-capable 

(Science, Technology, Engineering, and 

Mathematics) workers keeps growing, driven 

by international opportunities and competition, 

and by rapid increases in the number of jobs 

that require STEM skills, including in lines 

of work that historically did not require S&E 

knowledge. This situation will only become 

more urgent: by 2026, S&E jobs are predicted 

to grow by 13% compared with 7% growth in 

the overall U.S. workforce.

5

 Yet even as STEM 

competencies have become more essential, 

U.S. K-12 mathematics and science scores are 

well below those of many other nations and 

have stagnated.

6

 Women and underrepresented 

minorities remain inadequately represented 

in S&E relative to their proportions in the U.S. 

population. The rapid growth of S&E jobs 

and demographic changes have outpaced 

the progress that has been made in the 

participation of these groups in S&E. 

KEY QUESTION: How can the U.S. 

increase STEM skills and opportunities for 

all Americans?

A CASE 

FOR 

URGENCY

United States (U.S.) leadership in science 

and engineering (S&E) has shaped 

Americans’ way of life for seven decades, 

contributing to the nation’s economic 

prosperity and ensuring its national security. 

The U.S. S&E ecosystem, built on federally 

funded fundamental research, has led to 

innovation and new industries, revolutionized 

health care, promoted peace, created the 

mobile digital world, and transformed nearly 

every aspect of Americans’ lives. 

Today, science continues to be the endless 

frontier, but U.S. researchers are not the 

only explorers. Science and engineering 

– particularly fundamental research 

conducted transparently and openly – 

benefits the entire world. Yet if the U.S. is 

to ensure a strong economy and national 

security, it is vital that a significant share 

of future scientific breakthroughs and 

world-changing innovations be made 

here. In this new era, the National Science 

Board (Board, NSB) sees three trends that 

threaten the nation’s S&E leadership.

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7
In this report, the NSB highlights four 

elements of S&E leadership that are 

essential to the U.S. remaining the world 

leader in innovation in 2030: Practice 

of Science and Engineering, Talent, 

Partnerships, and Infrastructure. We 

conclude by offering a Roadmap for 

actions the NSB and the National Science 

Foundation (NSF) will undertake to help 

address the key questions posed above.7

The NSB commits to working with all 

stakeholders in our S&E enterprise – 

including Congress, the Administration, 

federal agencies, state and local 

governments, academia, and the private 

sector – to bring about the next era of 

American innovation leadership.

According to National Security Decision Directive (NSDD)-189, 

fundamental research includes basic and applied research in science 

and engineering, which the Organization for Economic Cooperation 

and Development (OECD) Frascati Manual defines as follows:8

Experimental or theoretical work undertaken primarily to acquire 

new knowledge of the underlying foundations of phenomena and 

observable facts, without any particular application or use in view. 

Original investigation undertaken in order to acquire new knowledge, 

directed primarily towards a specific, practical aim or objective.

Systematic work, drawing on knowledge gained from research and 

practical experience and producing additional knowledge, which is 

directed to producing new products or processes or to improving 

existing products or processes. 

FUNDAMENTAL 

RESEARCH

BASIC 

RESEARCH

APPLIED 

RESEARCH

EXPERIMENTAL 

DEVELOPMENT

FIGURE 1: AMERICA’S SHARE OF R&D DECREASING 

AS GLOBAL S&E GROWS

While the U.S. investment in R&D continues to grow in absolute terms, the investment 

by other countries is growing faster. As a result, the U.S. share of global R&D spending 

decreased from 37% to 25% between 2000 and 2017. 

Source: NSB, “Research and Development: U.S. Trends and International Comparisons,” Science & Engineering Indicators 2020

United States

East-Southeast and South Asia

European Union

Rest of World

37%

25%

26%

2000

37%

12%

25% 2017

25%

13%

20%

42%

8 VISION 2030 VISION 2030 9
ELEMENTS OF 

LEADERSHIP

ACADEMIA

Colleges

Universities

Trade Schools

K-12

GOVERNMENT

Local

National Labs

State

Federal

PRIVATE

Associations

Foundations

Nonprofits

Philanthropies

Businesses

Entrepreneurs THE S&E

ECOSYSTEM

10 VISION 2030 VISION 2030 11
ELEMENT: 

PRACTICE OF SCIENCE 

AND ENGINEERING

For the U.S. to preserve its lead in 

fundamental research and empower its 

businesses and enterprises to compete 

globally, it must stay on the leading edge 

of the practice of S&E. This entails being 

more strategic about investments, making 

the S&E ecosystem more nimble, embracing 

new research tools and modalities, 

fostering an inclusive and ethical S&E 

enterprise, welcoming and capitalizing on 

the globalization of S&E, and retaining the 

American public’s trust.

The nation must make both near and longterm research investments in fields such 

as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Quantum 

Information Systems that are key to U.S. 

competitiveness, while continuing to invest in 

a broad array of fundamental research. This 

two-pronged approach is needed to remain 

globally competitive in fields “of the moment” 

and to create the research environment 

and basic knowledge that will yield the next 

revolutionary advancement. While industry 

is well positioned to advance knowledge in 

targeted fields, only the federal government 

can invest across all fields, across the nation, 

at scale, and over sufficiently long-time 

horizons to create new knowledge that will 

help us to address future security, health, and 

economic challenges. 

At the same time that the U.S. invests in 

promising research, it must do more to ensure 

that discoveries are translated into innovations. 

While the U.S.’s decentralized, bottom-up 

approach to S&E research produces new 

knowledge in many disciplines, it can result 

in that knowledge being siloed and less 

likely to make the leap from the research 

environment to industry. Policies, incentives, 

and processes that improve collaboration 

across disciplines, between government S&E 

agencies, and among government, academia, 

and industry, can facilitate that translation. 

Additionally, with the private sector playing 

a larger role in supporting some fields of 

fundamental research, S&E leaders must 

think about mutually beneficial ways to ensure 

that information flows among government, 

universities, and industry travel in all directions.

To stay at the forefront of the practice of 

S&E, the U.S. must be at the leading edge of 

research modalities and tools that are likely 

to change the practice of research or to shift 

paradigms. Over the next decade, the U.S. 

will have to adapt to technological advances 

by creating structures and implementing 

coordination strategies that take full advantage 

of the opportunities they present. For example, 

AI may alter how research questions are 

asked and answered, enable diverse fields to 

collaborate in new ways, and require broader 

input and social science collaborations as 

the U.S. develops new norms, practices, and 

standards. Approaches such as convergent 

research, which bring together diverse 

disciplines to explore problems that cross the 

boundaries of multiple fields, have the potential 

to influence how disciplines are organized 

and how funding agencies invest. The funding 

choices that agencies make will be critical 

to motivating funding recipients to move in 

new directions and evaluate and modify their 

respective organizations and strategic priorities. 

In the coming decade, the U.S. also must 

continue to improve the research environment, 

setting the standard for research ethics and 

values. To do so, the U.S. must embrace 

and champion core values of objectivity, 

honesty, openness, fairness, accountability, 

and stewardship. Furthermore, as the U.S. 

looks to the future, attention to falsification, 

plagiarism, and fabrication per se will not suffice 

to ensure research integrity.

9

 Researchers at 

U.S. institutions must also disclose fully all 

conflicts of commitment or interest that can 

prejudice incentives or motivations. As part of 

setting the standard on values, the research 

enterprise must do more to create a welcoming 

and inclusive culture of S&E. Hostile research 

environments in U.S. labs, classrooms, and 

workplaces must not be tolerated. A sustained 

focus on scientific values and the culture of the 

S&E enterprise will be critical as the U.S. seeks 

to model open, ethically conducted science and 

engineering and sustain a global community of 

like-minded partners.

In a world where transnational collaboration 

in S&E is becoming more critical, the U.S. 

must support researchers’ collaborations 

with scientists abroad. These collaborations 

and the progress of knowledge itself depend 

on preserving the open flow of knowledge. 

At the same time, it will be crucial that the 

U.S. safeguard sensitive areas of research 

in which national security considerations 

must prevail. The nation’s guide in doing 

so should be President Ronald Reagan’s 

policy on technology transfer (NSDD-189), 

which called for the products of fundamental 

research to remain unrestricted to the 

maximum extent possible.12

For the practice of S&E to flourish, the 

enterprise must also show its value to 

Americans. In part, that means demonstrating 

how S&E can help address real world 

challenges. Support for use- and probleminspired research – as exemplified by NSF’s 

Convergence Accelerators13 initiative – is a 

tangible step in this direction.

The U.S. must remain globally 

competitive in fields “of the moment” 

and create the research environment 

and basic knowledge that will yield 

the next revolutionary advancement.

12 VISION 2030 VISION 2030 13
To balance an open, global environment 

of fundamental research with national and 

economic security, the NSF has taken steps 

to address science and security concerns. 

Specifically, the agency has:11

Clarified its conflicts of interest disclosure 

requirements to ensure proposers provide 

information on all sources of current and 

pending research support.

Clarified the biographical sketch disclosure 

requirements and standardized the format 

of the biographical sketch to ensure that 

any titled position is identified, whether or not 

remuneration is received.

Required that all NSF personnel and those at 

NSF under an Intergovernmental Personnel 

Act Agreement (IPA) are U.S. citizens.

Prohibited all NSF personnel and IPAs 

from participating in a foreign talent 

recruitment program.

Developed training for NSF employees on 

science and security.

Participated in coordinating policy and 

practices on science and security with the White 

House, with sister science agencies, and with the 

intelligence and law enforcement communities.

Created the position of Chief of Research 

Security Strategy in the Office of the Director 

to provide NSF leadership with policy 

advice on all aspects of research security and 

strategy and coordinate with other federal 

agencies and the White House.

NSF ACTIONS ON 

SCIENCE & SECURITY

NEW NSF TERM AND 

CONDITION ON HARASSMENT 

AND SEXUAL ASSAULT

NSF’s October 2018 term and condition 

on harassment and sexual assault reaffirms 

the agency’s commitment to fostering safe 

and sustainable research and educational 

environments for all in the U.S. S&E ecosystem.10

Excerpts include:

The Principal Investigator (PI) and any 

co-PI(s) identified on an NSF award are 

in a position of trust. These individuals 

must comport themselves in a responsible 

and accountable manner during the 

award period of performance, whether 

at the awardee institution, on-line, or at 

locales such as field sites, facilities, or 

conferences/workshops.

“

Other personnel supported by an ”

NSF award must likewise remain in full 

compliance with awardee policies or 

codes of conduct, statutes, regulations, 

or executive orders relating to sexual 

harassment, other forms of harassment, 

or sexual assault.

“

”

For the practice of S&E to flourish, 

the enterprise must also show its 

value to Americans.

14 VISION 2030 VISION 2030 15
ELEMENT:

TALENT

Talent is the treasure on which America’s 

S&E enterprise and the nation’s prosperity, 

health, and security depend. Today, S&E 

knowledge and skills matter not only for 

scientists and engineers engaged in R&D, but 

also for a range of jobs across the economy 

that historically did not require such skills. 

To respond to these changes, the U.S. will 

need a workforce to push the frontiers of 

knowledge and that has the skills to thrive 

in a knowledge- and technology-intensive 

economy.14 To lead in S&E and remain globally 

competitive in 2030, the U.S. must be a STEM 

talent powerhouse that uses a two-pronged 

strategy of expanding domestic talent while 

continuing to attract and retain global talent.

Increasing the STEM skills and opportunities 

for all Americans will require local, state, 

and federal governments, public and 

private educational institutions, community 

organizations, and industry to step up their 

efforts. The U.S. needs “all hands on deck” 

to modernize its education system, reinvest 

in public elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education,15 and support the 

reskilling/upskilling that workers will need 

throughout their careers.

Despite the emphasis on K-12 STEM 

education in recent years, American students’ 

test scores have stagnated over the past 

decade. The science and mathematics 

performance of U.S. students consistently 

ranks below that of students in many 

competing nations. Results from the 2018 

OECD’s Programme for International Student 

Assessment (PISA) placed U.S. fourth and 

eighth graders 18th in science and 37th in 

mathematics out of 79 participating countries 

or economic regions.16

Improving K-12 student performance in 

STEM will require mechanisms to bring the 

best research-based STEM pedagogy and 

practices to the classroom in every school in 

the country. NSF-funded research has shown 

successful training and teaching approaches 

and these and other proven practices should 

be broadly implemented in America’s schools. 

Teacher education programs must incorporate 

more STEM education so that primary school 

teachers have the skills and comfort level 

they need to nurture young children’s natural 

curiosity, avoiding “lost Einsteins.”17

At the post-secondary level, the U.S. must 

embrace a pathways model18 to workforce 

development. Because entry into the STEM 

workforce is not always via a linear high 

school — university – workforce path, the U.S. 

must offer individuals, from skilled technical 

workers19 to PhDs, on-ramps into STEMcapable jobs. The U.S. must also deepen 

partnerships between educational institutions 

and the business sector to prepare Americans 

for the industries of the future and support 

reskilling and upskilling of incumbent workers 

so that they can better navigate rapid changes 

in the world of work.

In order to lead in 2030, the U.S. also must 

be aggressive about cultivating the fullness 

of the nation’s domestic talent. Although the 

proportion of Black and Hispanic representation 

in S&E jobs rose slightly from 1995 to 2017, 

these groups remain underrepresented 

compared to their proportion in the general 

population.20 Over the past two decades, the 

number of women in S&E occupations has 

doubled. Yet despite comprising over half of 

the college-educated workforce, as of 2017, 

women account for just 29% of the S&E 

FIGURE 2: MISSING MILLIONS: FASTER PROGRESS 

IN INCREASING DIVERSITY NEEDED TO REDUCE 

SIGNIFICANT TALENT GAP 

While the number of people from under-represented groups in the S&E workforce has grown 

over the past decade, much faster increases will be needed for the S&E workforce to be 

representative of the U.S. population in 2030. To achieve that goal, the NSB estimates that the 

number of women must nearly double, Black or African Americans must more than double, and 

Hispanic or Latinos must triple the number that are in the 2020 U.S. S&E workforce. These 

estimates are based on projections from the U.S. Census and Bureau of Labor Statistics, 

together with data from the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, and assume 

that participation of these groups in the S&E workforce increases at current rates.

Women

Legend

x 100,000 people in 2020 S&E workforce

x 100,000 additional people needed in 2030 for the S&E workforce 

to representative of the U.S. population

Hispanic or Latino

Black or African American

Our message must be 

clear: Just as illiteracy 

is unacceptable, it 

can no longer be 

acceptable for anyone 

to be “bad at math.”

16 VISION 2030 VISION 2030 17
A collection of attributes that includes national origin, language, race, 

color, disability, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, 

gender identity, socioeconomic status, veteran status, and family 

structures. It encompasses differences among people concerning 

where they have lived and their respective life experiences.

A culture that connects each employee, encourages collaboration, 

flexibility, and fairness, and leverages diversity so that each person 

may participate and contribute to their full potential.

DIVERSITY

INCLUSION

workforce and are especially underrepresented 

in fields identified as critical to future industries 

such as engineering and computer science.21

These data show that progress in creating 

a diverse and inclusive S&E enterprise has 

not kept pace with demographic trends or 

with the increasing centrality of S&E to our 

economy, national security, and jobs of the 

future (see Figure 2). America’s diversity is 

a great strength.22 Leveraging that strength 

by broadening participation in the U.S. S&E 

enterprise will be crucial to fostering individual 

opportunity and a thriving economy. 

To develop a talent pool that is second to none, 

the U.S. must also continue to attract and 

retain talent from around the globe. Even as we 

develop domestic talent, the U.S. economy will 

continue to need foreign S&E talent. Foreignborn individuals represent a substantial share 

of our S&E workforce and data show that 

the share of foreign-born S&E workers has 

increased significantly over the last 25 years. 

For example, in computer science, mathematics, 

and engineering – fields that underpin many of 

the Industries of the Future23 – nearly 60% of 

Ph.D. holders in the U.S. workforce are foreignborn (see Figure 3).24

As the stature of universities and S&E 

ecosystems in emerging economies grow – 

and with it a global bidding war for S&E talent – 

it is far from a foregone conclusion that foreign 

students and workers will continue to choose 

the U.S. as a place to study and work. Declines 

in stay rates25 for individuals from China and 

India – the two largest sources of international 

S&E talent – coupled with declines in foreign 

student enrollment in U.S. higher education 

institutions already suggest growing opportunity 

elsewhere.26 The lagging nature of stay rate 

data suggests that there may be even more 

significant changes in talent migration patterns 

that are not yet reflected in current statistics.

To attract the very best talent from across the 

globe, the U.S. must welcome international 

students and workers from all continents. 

Ensuring that international students and 

workers have attractive opportunities and feel 

secure in their choice to come to the U.S. 

begins with a clear, consistent, and predictable 

visa system. Such a system would assure 

students of stability in their studies as well as

remain in and contribute to the country after 

completing their degrees. 

For the U.S. to remain a STEM talent 

powerhouse, it cannot make a choice 

between developing domestic talent or 

recruiting foreign-born talent. The U.S. must 

ensure that it is a magnet for all STEM talent 

– domestic and foreign.

FIGURE 3: FOREIGN-BORN INDIVIDUALS ARE 

SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTORS TO U.S. S&E

The share of foreign-born S&E workers has increased significantly in the last 25 years. 

In most S&E occupations, the higher the degree level, the greater the proportion of the 

workforce that is foreign-born. The percentages are highest in the fields of engineering and 

computer science — almost 6 out of 10.

Bachelors Masters PhD

Foreign-Born PhDs in the Sciences: 2017

Computer and Mathematical Scientists

Biological, Agricultural, and Life Scientists

Physical and Related Scientists

Social and Related Scientists

Engineers

2017

2013

2003

1993

0%

0% 20% 40% 60%

10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

(Adapted from Office of Personnel Management, Office of Diversity and Inclusion)

Source: NSB, “Science and Engineering Labor Force,” Science & Engineering Indicators 2020

18 VISION 2030 VISION 2030 19
ELEMENT:

INFRASTRUCTURE

For the U.S. to remain a global leader in innovation, 

America’s researchers must have access to 

scientific facilities that will astonish the world – tools 

that let them see further, faster, and deeper. This 

infrastructure is critical for fundamental research, 

empowering U.S. businesses and entrepreneurs, 

and developing and attracting STEM talent. The 

world’s best talent – including American talent 

– will go where S&E opportunities are greatest. 

Increasingly, infrastructure is an essential part 

of that equation. Research infrastructure also 

symbolizes a nation’s commitment to S&E, since it 

represents a significant, long-term undertaking. 

As we look to 2030, the NSB sees three 

infrastructure imperatives: 

• The U.S. must invest in infrastructure, 

including data, software, computation, 

and networking capabilities, across all 

S&E disciplines.

• To catalyze regional scientific and 

innovation networks, America must 

strategically build S&E infrastructure and 

capacity in the nation’s underserved areas 

and institutions, while retaining excellence 

and capacity where it already exists.27

• For the most complex and costly 

facilities, for which only one or two of a 

kind are needed worldwide, the U.S. must 

cooperate with other countries, such that 

U.S. researchers can participate fully, 

help set the agenda, and share equitably 

in the results. 

Research infrastructure needs for 2030 and 

beyond will range from desktop microscopes, 

to billion-dollar telescopes, to deep ocean 

submersibles, to the research cyberinfrastructure 

resources that underpin revolutions in big 

data and AI. Providing research infrastructure 

across the range of scientific fields and at 

various scales will require field-based, agencybased, and interagency planning and execution 

to ensure that infrastructure investments 

are complementary and that America’s S&E 

infrastructure is globally competitive. 

As the NSB stated in its 2018 report on 

midscale research infrastructure, current 

gaps in agency support of mid-scale research 

infrastructure put future areas of U.S. S&E 

research at risk.28 Investing in capabilities that 

are more modest in scope can expand the types 

of research that can be accomplished and lay 

the groundwork for building the next generation 

of large or mega-facilities. 

Predictable budgets, strategic planning, and 

sustained agency and interagency partnerships for 

America’s large facilities will be especially crucial 

because of their costs and multi-decade lifecycle.

As part of a more strategic approach to 

domestic research infrastructure, America has an 

opportunity to redress geographic and institutional 

resource inequities. More regional, integrated 

suites of midscale research infrastructure – 

including cyberinfrastructure – would catalyze 

research across a range of institutional types, 

diversify the S&E enterprise, and lay the 

groundwork for greater geographic distribution of 

S&E-based industries. 

The cost of building new facilities is growing most 

rapidly in fields where scientists and engineers 

need bigger instruments to see smaller things or 

where continental-scale networks offer the keys to 

new knowledge. Over the next decade, the federal 

government will need to make funding decisions 

on a few large-scale S&E infrastructure projects. 

The cost or geographic extent of these facilities 

may exceed what America can commit to alone. In 

such cases, the U.S. should prioritize investments – 

for example, facilities with high potential to impact 

S&E, economic vitality, or national security – and 

determine participation in international partnerships 

by carefully considering the global S&E landscape 

and opportunities for American leadership. 

As part of a more 

strategic approach 

to domestic research 

infrastructure, 

America has an 

opportunity to 

redress geographic 

and institutional 

resource inequities.

20 VISION 2030 VISION 2030 21
ELEMENT:

PARTNERSHIPS

The U.S. must update its approach to S&E 

partnerships so that American discoveries 

empower U.S. businesses and entrepreneurs to 

compete globally.

America’s largely decentralized S&E ecosystem 

of education, workforce development, and S&E 

R&D is knitted together via partnerships. For seven 

decades the federal government has partnered 

with academia to conduct basic and applied 

research. More recently, partnerships between 

academia and industry have further catalyzed 

the translation of research into innovation. 

Partnerships among all levels of government, 

public and private educational institutions, and 

industry have played a role in education and 

training. Bottom-up, community-driven solutions 

bring creativity, innovative approaches, dynamism, 

and flexibility to the S&E ecosystem.

As the U.S. faces increased competition from 

countries that organize their S&E enterprises 

much more centrally, it must ensure that its 

ecosystem amounts to more than the sum of its 

parts by strengthening existing partnerships and 

adding more partnerships with state governments 

and philanthropic organizations. 

To increase the impact of investment 

and deliver more returns to Americans, a 

renewed government-university-industry 

partnership will require:

• Sustained federal government support of 

fundamental research – the “seed corn” 

of the S&E enterprise. 

• Improved translation of basic research 

through mechanisms at NSF and 

partnerships with mission agencies, 

national labs, or industry. 

• Mitigating procedural or cultural obstacles 

to collaboration among government science 

agencies, including the Department of 

Defense, and between universities, national 

laboratories, and industry. 

• Streamlining federal regulations to 

enhance technology transfer by creating 

greater flexibility for public-private 

partnerships, more engagement with 

private-sector investors, and improved 

support for innovation. 

FIGURE 4: INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION AMONG 

RESEARCHERS GROWS DRAMATICALLY 

Collaboration among scientists and engineers around the world enhances research 

capacity. In 1996, U.S. researchers most frequently co-authored papers with researchers in 

Europe and Japan. In 2018, these connections have grown – as shown by the width of the 

lines, with the size of the circles denoting the relative number of publications. Now, China has 

emerged as the single most frequent partner with the U.S. in research collaboration. 

Source: NSB, “Publications Output: U.S. Trends and International Comparisons,” Science & Engineering Indicators 2020

1996

2018

22 VISION 2030 VISION 2030 23
Building strong, enduring government, academic, 

and industry partnerships starts with clearly 

defining the benefits to all parties and clarifying 

issues such as intellectual property rights. 

Effective partnerships also require flexibility when 

dealing with another organization’s procedural or 

cultural norms, particularly when the parties have 

different overarching missions or motivations. 

As the U.S. builds partnership capacity at home 

to respond to a more competitive global S&E 

landscape, the nation simultaneously needs to 

enhance capacity for its researchers to collaborate 

with their global counterparts. Over the past 

decade, international research partnerships have 

made possible some of the era’s most exciting 

scientific breakthroughs including the discovery 

of the Higgs Boson, the detection of gravitational 

waves and high-energy cosmic neutrinos, and the 

first image of a black hole. 

International research partnerships are already 

a key feature of the globalized era of S&E. 

Among the top 15 countries publishing scientific 

articles, 41% of all articles include international 

collaboration.29 And the share of all global articles 

The U.S. must 

build partnership 

capacity at home to 

respond to a more 

competitive global 

S&E landscape and 

enhance capacity 

for its researchers 

to collaborate 

internationally.

published with international collaboration is on 

the rise (see Figure 4); between 2008 and 2018, 

the percentage of global articles published with 

international collaboration increased from 17% to 

23%.30 In 2018, about a quarter of internationally 

coauthored publications with an author at an 

American research institution have a coauthor 

with a Chinese professional affiliation.31

The U.S. must make it a priority to be a prominent, 

strong, and reliable partner in international 

scientific collaborations. These collaborations are 

vital because they foster science and engineering 

on a global scale, train the next generation of 

R&D workers, bring cultural, economic, and 

political benefits, and allow the U.S. to leverage 

its resources in the operation of large-scale 

research facilities that are too costly for any 

single nation to manage on its own. Strong U.S. 

presence also provides a means by which the 

U.S. can strengthen global acceptance of the 

core values of open, transparent, and ethical 

conduct of S&E research.

24 VISION 2030 VISION 2030 25
DELIVER BENEFITS 

FROM RESEARCH

FO C U S O N 

T H E F U T U R E : 

NSB ROADMAP

DEVELOP 

STEM TALENT

FOR AMERICA

EXPAND THE

GEOGRAPHY 

OF INNOVATION

FOSTER A GLOBAL

S&E COMMUNITY

26 VISION 2030 VISION 2030 27
NSB

ROADMAP

To remain the world leader in basic research 

and innovation, the U.S. must embrace its 

identity as the land of opportunity, utilize 

the can-do attitude that defines its people, 

and race to lead a future in which ideas are 

forged on a global scale. The nation’s S&E 

ecosystem must respond with a partnership 

that embodies the strength of its values – a 

spirit of exploration, of wonder, of discovery, 

coupled with a willingness to take risks and an 

emphasis on freedom and individual creativity. 

For its part, the NSB will continue to 

collect and communicate data on the 

U.S. and global S&E landscape, convene 

and collaborate across the national S&E 

ecosystem, and advocate for fundamental 

research and policies that will help the U.S. 

remain a global leader. The NSB will focus 

our efforts in these main areas: delivering 

benefits from NSF investments in creating 

new knowledge, developing STEM talent 

for America, expanding the geography of 

innovation within the U.S., and fostering 

a global S&E community. This Roadmap 

charts the actions to which NSB commits 

in partnership with NSF and other leaders 

in the S&E enterprise.

How can America keep its lead in fundamental research? 

How can American discoveries continue to empower U.S. businesses and entrepreneurs 

to succeed globally?

How can the U.S. increase STEM skills and opportunities for all Americans?

KEY QUESTIONS

28 VISION 2030 VISION 2030 29
In the last decade NSF has taken 

significant steps to ensure that the U.S. 

and its taxpayers benefit from the research 

it supports, including through policies 

on research in the national interest, 

accountability and transparency, and the 

broader impacts criterion in its Merit Review 

process. The agency has also created new 

programs (e.g., INCLUDES, I-Corps, National 

Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes, and 

Convergence Accelerators) targeting national 

priorities and societal challenges. 

NSB Actions:

• Evaluate how NSF’s broader impacts 

merit review criterion could better meet 

societal needs.

• In partnership with NSF leadership, 

undertake an organizational review and 

offer recommendations on changes to 

directorate structure, funding models, 

or programmatic offerings, including 

for convergent research and questions 

inspired by societal problems. 

• To advance discovery and innovation, 

ensure NSF continues, completes, and 

implements an agency-wide partnerships 

strategy that includes industry and federal 

mission agencies. 

NSB Actions with NSF to improve strategic 

planning across the U.S. S&E ecosystem:

• Use initiatives like the “Big Ideas” to 

focus awareness and funding of national 

priorities and emerging opportunities.

• Ensure NSF’s budgetary strategy fosters 

discovery, complements investments in 

fundamental research made by industry 

and other federal agencies, and reflects 

national research needs, including critical 

technologies. 

• Identify and make strategic 

recommendations on emerging areas of 

S&E research where the U.S. must be 

preeminent and government actions are 

required, including by leveraging Science 

& Engineering Indicators and NSF’s deep 

connections to America’s colleges and 

universities. 

To leverage America’s lead in basic 

research, the country must find ways to 

speed the path from discovery to innovation, 

through partnerships among governments, 

universities, and the private sector. 

NSB Actions: 

• Encourage the exchange of people, 

and with that the exchange of ideas 

and expertise, among federal agencies, 

universities, and industry, including 

through programs like the Industry –

University Cooperative Research Centers

and Convergence Accelerators. 

• Convene university, industry, and state 

partners to identify best practices 

and barriers (regulatory, structural, 

administrative) to partnerships and 

translation of NSF-funded basic research.

• As part of a review of NSF, develop 

options for structures and processes that 

would magnify translation of discoveries, 

including consideration of a new NSF 

directorate focused on translation.

PROGRESS

COORDINATION

TRANSLATION

DELIVER BENEFITS 

FROM RESEARCH

NSB has endorsed the principle that “all [NSF]-funded 

research and education must further the national interest 

by contributing to the [NSF’s] mission.” 

DELIVER BENEFITS 

FROM RESEARCH

DEVELOP STEM 

TALENT FOR AMERICA

EXPAND THE GEOGRAPHY 

OF INNOVATION

FOSTER A GLOBAL 

S&E COMMUNITY

While several agencies invest in fundamental research, NSF is the only agency whose 

sole mission is to do so across a wide breadth of disciplines. Its practice of supporting 

curiosity-driven research has provided the basis for technologies and benefits that 

could not have been anticipated at the time of initial funding. To enhance the return 

to U.S. taxpayers from these investments and empower the nation’s businesses and 

entrepreneurs to compete globally, the U.S. must build on progress from the past decade, 

improve coordination, and speed translation from discovery to innovation.

To leverage America’s 

lead in basic research, the 

country must find ways 

to speed the path from 

discovery to innovation.

VISION 2030 31
America’s future STEM-capable workforce 

must engage all Americans, lead its 

competitors in preparation and competence, 

and enjoy sustainable and attractive STEM 

careers. The U.S. must make education a 

federal, state, and local priority and hold 

itself accountable with reliable, up-to-date 

data. Post-secondary education, from skilled 

technical programs to PhDs, must be made 

more affordable and accessible.

NSB Actions: • Support NSF strategies to further the 

broad adoption and use of NSF-funded 

STEM education research, including 

research on teaching critical thinking, 

problem-solving, creativity and digital 

literacy, and on STEM pedagogy and 

practices for diversity and inclusion. 

• Advocate for more science and 

engineering teaching in K-12 education, 

with an emphasis on increasing contact 

hours and exposure to science in early 

education and improving the quality of 

STEM education at all levels.

NSB Actions with NSF: • Advocate for new investment to NSF 

talent programs, including Advanced 

Technological Education, Research 

Experiences for Undergraduates, 

graduate research fellowships, and postdoctoral fellowships.

• Ensure that NSF improves the 

attractiveness, equity, and inclusivity of 

research careers, including attracting 

and retaining women and other 

underrepresented groups; and ensuring 

that these groups are achieving 

leadership roles in the S&E ecosystem 

through appropriate policies, funding, 

programs, and outreach.

• Develop recommendations aimed 

at increasing the attractiveness of 

conducting academic research in the 

U.S. and the retention and productivity of 

researchers. This may include:

» Examining increased investment to 

fund a higher percentage of highly 

rated proposals

DOMESTIC TALENT: A LAND OF OPPORTUNITY

NSB Actions: • Encourage Congress and the 

Administration to ensure that the U.S. 

is welcoming to the best science and 

engineering talent from around the globe. 

This includes having clear and consistent 

visa policies and sustaining efforts to retain 

U.S.-educated scientists and engineers.

• Work with NCSES to improve data on 

talent migration, including U.S.-born 

citizens, into and out of the U.S.

INTERNATIONAL TALENT: A BEACON FOR THE WORLD

DELIVER BENEFITS 

FROM RESEARCH

DEVELOP STEM 

TALENT FOR AMERICA

EXPAND THE GEOGRAPHY 

OF INNOVATION

FOSTER A GLOBAL 

S&E COMMUNITY

DEVELOP STEM 

TALENT FOR AMERICA

To keep its lead in fundamental research and bolster 

the workforce of the future, the U.S. must provide 

opportunities for all Americans and continue to welcome 

foreign talent. 

The U.S. must make education a federal, state, 

and local priority and hold itself accountable 

with reliable, up-to-date data.

» Changes to grant structures to reduce 

administrative burden

» Mechanisms to fund long-term nontenure researchers 

» Creating and/or adapting funding 

opportunities to stay competitive with the 

opportunities available to researchers 

elsewhere in the world

• Continuing to engage with NSF’s National 

Center for Science and Engineering 

Statistics (NCSES) to collect, analyze, and 

communicate data on the STEM-capable 

workforce, including the new emphasis on 

the skilled technical workforce.30

VISION 2030 33
EXPAND THE 

GEOGRAPHY OF 

INNOVATION

Americans from every state must benefit from the 

progress of science and engineering and have access to 

high-quality STEM education and S&E careers. 

NSB Actions: • Conduct a review of NSF strategies to 

expand S&E capacity in all states. In this 

effort, NSB will obtain input from state 

and industry stakeholders and examine 

NSF’s investments in research, research 

infrastructure, and education with an eye 

toward identifying mechanisms that can 

best develop capacity and further establish 

a network of S&E hubs across the country.

• Advocate for including communities 

potentially impacted by NSF-funded grants 

in research design considerations and 

encourage public participation in research, 

including through “citizen science.” 

Public research universities provide key public 

goods, but face distinct challenges as they 

strive to provide affordable, quality education 

to a broad range of students, perform twothirds of academic R&D,32 and contribute to 

local economies.

NSB Actions: • Communicate to Congress and the 

Administration the benefits of a new 

federal program for public post-secondary 

education institutions that would prepare 

STEM-capable Americans in every state 

and encourage partnerships between 

state and local governments, educational 

institutions, and industries.

• Continue to advocate for state-level 

reinvestment in public higher education, 

using Science & Engineering Indicators data 

to document the impact of disinvestment.

DELIVER BENEFITS 

FROM RESEARCH

EXPAND THE GEOGRAPHY 

OF INNOVATION

FOSTER A GLOBAL 

S&E COMMUNITY

DEVELOP STEM 

TALENT FOR AMERICA

NSB will 

examine NSF’s 

investments 

with an 

eye toward 

identifying 

mechanisms 

that can best 

develop capacity 

and further 

establish a 

network of S&E 

hubs across the 

country.

Empowering American workers, entrepreneurs, and businesses will require strategically 

building S&E capacity and infrastructure across the nation and actively seeding and nurturing 

innovation clusters. 

VISION 2030 35
NSB Actions with NSF: • Continue to champion the merits of 

openness and the highest ethical standards 

in science and engineering and foster them 

through synergistic engagements with a 

global community of like-minded partners 

who share core values.

• Ensure NSF’s participation as a reliable 

partner in international research 

collaborations to address global challenges 

and opportunities and build, operate, and 

maintain large-scale infrastructure.

• Enhance the NSF Office of International 

Science and Engineering (OISE), including 

the MULTIPLIERs program, to ensure it 

is well positioned to maintain awareness of 

the global S&E landscape and contribute to 

NSF’s strategic planning. 

• Develop and expand NSF’s strategies 

and partnerships to grow international 

collaborations, attract global talent, and 

create international education and training 

opportunities. 

• Work with NCSES to improve data 

collection on international collaborations, 

beyond publications.

NSB will work with 

NSF to develop and 

expand strategies 

and partnerships to 

grow international 

collaborations, attract 

global talent, and 

create international 

education and training 

opportunities.

FOSTER A GLOBAL 

S&E COMMUNITY

The U.S. must compete and collaborate to remain the 

global leader in fundamental research and provide the seed 

corn for innovation. 

DEVELOP STEM 

TALENT FOR AMERICA

EXPAND THE GEOGRAPHY 

OF INNOVATION

FOSTER A GLOBAL 

S&E COMMUNITY

DELIVER BENEFITS 

FROM RESEARCH

Staying at the frontiers of discovery requires leaning into internationalism, particularly 

given the nation’s falling share of global knowledge production, paired with the rising 

importance and impact of international collaboration and knowledge- and technologyintensive industries. 

VISION 2030 37
AC K 

MATTER

1. National Science Board (NSB), “Research and Development: U.S. Trends and International 

Comparisons,” Science & Engineering Indicators 2020. 

2. “Knowledge and technology intensive industries” includes five high R&D intensive industries 

and eight medium-high R&D intensive industries. The five high R&D intensive industries 

are aircraft; computer, electronic, and optical products; pharmaceuticals; scientific R&D 

services; and software publishing. The eight medium-high R&D intensive industries are 

chemicals excluding pharmaceuticals; electrical equipment; information technology (IT) 

services; machinery and equipment; medical and dental instruments; motor vehicles; railroad 

and other transportation; and weapons. NSB, “Production and Trade of Knowledge and 

Technology Intensive Industries,” Science & Engineering Indicators 2020.

3. Mark Muro, Jonathan Rothwell, Scott Andes, Kenan Fikri, and Siddharth Kulkarni, 

“America’s Advanced Industries: What They Are, Where They Are, and Why They Matter,” 

(Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution, 2015)

4. National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES), “National Patterns of 

R&D Resources: 2017–18 Data Update,” (Alexandria, VA: National Center for Science 

and Engineering Statistics, 2020).

5. NSB, “Science and Engineering Labor Force,” Science & Engineering Indicators 2020. 

6. NSB, “Elementary and Secondary Mathematics and Science Education,” Science & 

Engineering Indicators 2020. 

7. NSF is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 “to promote the 

progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure 

the national defense...”

8. These definitions, which NSB uses in Science & Engineering Indicators, are similar - but 

not identical — to the Department of Defense definitions of basic (6.1), applied (6.2), and 

developmental (6.3) research.

9. National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), “Fostering Integrity 

in Research,” (Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press, 2017).

10. Notification Requirements Regarding Findings of Sexual Harassment, Other Forms of 

Harassment, or Sexual Assault 

11. NSF, “NSF Response to the JASON Report ‘Fundamental Science and Security,” 

(Alexandria, VA: National Science Foundation, 2020). 

12. The full text of NSDD-189 can be found at the National Archives Catalog.

ENDNOTES

13. The NSF Convergence Accelerators (C-Accel) reward high-risk, innovative thinking 

by multi-disciplinary teams of researchers and are aimed at accelerating convergence 

research that is use-inspired and directed at solutions for important national challenges.

14. NSB, Revisiting the STEM Workforce, (Arlington, VA: National Science Board, 2015).

15. NSB, “Diminishing Funding and Rising Expectations: Trends and Challenges for Public 

Research Universities”, (Arlington, VA: National Science Board, 2012).

16. Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Program for 

International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018 Results.

17. Alex Bell, Raj Chetty, Xavier Jaravel, Neviana Petkova, and John Van Reenen, “Who 

Becomes an Inventor in America? The Importance of Exposure to Innovation,” The Equality 

of Opportunity Project, The Quarterly Journal of Economics, (2018).

18. The NSB’s 2015 report “Revisiting the STEM Workforce” highlighted that unlike a 

linear pipeline model, a pathways approach more accurately represents the non-linear 

relationship between education, training, and occupation.

19. NSB, “The Skilled Technical Workforce: Crafting America’s Science & Engineering 

Enterprise,” (Alexandria, VA: National Science Board, 2019).

20. NSB, “Science and Engineering Labor Force,” Science & Engineering Indicators 2020.

21. Ibid.

22. NASEM, “Minority Serving Institutions: America’s Underutilized Resource for Strengthening 

the STEM Workforce,” (Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press, 2019)

23. “Industries of the Future” include Quantum Information Science, Artificial Intelligence, 5G, 

Advanced Manufacturing, and Biotechnology.

24. NSB, “Science and Engineering Labor Force,” Science & Engineering Indicators 2020.

25. “Stay rate” refers to the proportion of international students who remain in the U.S. five 

years after completion of their terminal degree. 

26. NSB, “Higher Education in Science and Engineering,” Science & Engineering Indicators 2020.

27. The NSF Act charges the Foundation with avoiding “undue concentration” of research.

28. NSB, Bridging the Gap: Building a Sustained Approach to Mid-scale Infrastructure and 

Cyberinfrastructure at NSF, (Alexandria, VA: National Science Board, 2018).

29. NSB, “Publications Output: U.S. Trends and International Comparisons,” Science & 

Engineering Indicators 2020.

30. Ibid.

31. Ibid.

32. NSB, “Academic Research and Development,” Science & Engineering Indicators 2020.

38 VISION 2030 VISION 2030 39
AFTERWORD ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Dear Colleagues:

On the eve of the 70th anniversary of the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National 

Science Board (NSB, Board) has set a vision for the agency and the broader United 

States (U.S.) science and engineering (S&E) enterprise over the next decade and beyond. 

In developing Vision 2030, the NSB spent a year examining data, revisiting internal and 

external reports, and consulting with S&E community members across the country. We 

gained insights from students, early-career and seasoned professors and researchers, and 

administrators from a variety of institutions; inventors and representatives of academic and 

scientific associations; NSF staff; and others. We undertook our work on Vision 2030 with full 

consideration of NSB’s dual role as NSF’s policymaking board and independent S&E policy 

advisor to both Congress and the President.

Vision 2030 provides a guide to where the Board believes the U.S. S&E enterprise must be in 

10 years. It identifies trends and presents a call to action in four key areas: Practice of Science 

and Engineering, Talent, Partnerships, and Infrastructure. It includes a roadmap for how the U.S. 

can reinvent aspects of its S&E enterprise to remain preeminent, including specific actions the 

NSB commits to taking over the next decade to contribute to this reinvention. 

It is the NSB’s vision that in 2030 the U.S. remains a global leader, offering unparalleled 

opportunities for students, researchers, STEM-capable workers, and entrepreneurs, and 

setting the standard for research performance, ethics, and values. Realizing this vision will 

require the participation of all of the entities in the American S&E ecosystem, including NSB 

and NSF. We hope that Vision 2030 inspires the actions our country needs. 

Sincerely,

Diane L. Souvaine 

Chair, NSB

The Board thanks Roger Beachy, who chaired 

the Vision 2030 Task Force, and Task Force 

members Ellen Ochoa (Task Force Vice Chair), 

Vicki Chandler, Robert Groves, Julia Phillips, 

and Maria Zuber, who led the development of 

Vision 2030 on the Board’s behalf. The NSB 

would also like to acknowledge Board Chair 

Diane Souvaine for her support and leadership 

on this project and former NSF Director 

France Córdova for her valuable insights 

throughout the process.

The Board acknowledges the NSF program 

officers, division leaders, and Assistant 

Directors who graciously shared their thoughts 

and expertise on the future of NSF and the 

S&E enterprise. We are also grateful for 

the insights and energy of Karen King, a 

valued Executive Secretary to the NSB, who 

unexpectedly passed away in late 2019. We 

also thank Mary Koskinen, NSF Senior Staff 

Associate and an Executive Secretary to the 

Board, for supporting several listening sessions. 

We extend our deep thanks to Arthur Lupia, 

Assistant Director of the Social, Behavioral, 

and Economic Sciences Directorate, who was 

instrumental in clarifying and strengthening 

Vision 2030’s message and content. 

Vision 2030 benefited enormously from the 

many college and university students, early 

and later career faculty and researchers, 

and administrators and representatives from 

philanthropies, industry, and scientific and 

university associations who shared their 

insights with the Task Force. We are grateful 

to all who participated in the listening sessions 

we held at Arizona State University, Dakota 

State University, Georgetown University, 

University of the District of Columbia, the 

National Academy of Inventors meeting in 

Houston, Texas, the Santa Fe Institute, Tufts 

University, and Washington University. Our 

thanks also to NSF’s Advisory Committee 

members for participating in a listening 

session with the Task Force.

NSB also expresses its sincerest thanks to 

the entire National Science Board Office 

staff for their tireless support of the Board 

throughout the development of Vision 2030. 

Brandon Powell, Kyscha Slater-Williams, and 

American Association for the Advancement 

of Science (AAAS) S&T Policy Fellow 

Mateo Muñoz helped organize and staff 

our listening sessions. Chris Blair proofread 

the final draft of this report. Jack Meszaros, 

Portia Flowers, AAAS S&T Policy Fellow 

Michelle McCrackin, and National Research 

Traineeship Fellow Ed Higgins supported 

the report drafting and production. Brad 

Gutierrez and Elise Lipkowitz played leading 

roles in the development and drafting of 

the report from its inception. Nadine Lymn 

and Reba Bandyopadhyay provided editorial 

contributions and communications insights 

throughout the project. Kathy Jacquart served 

as the liaison to the Task Force and guided 

the steps of the Vision’s development from 

start to finish with skill and dedication. Finally, 

we thank John Veysey for his guidance and 

the many roles that he has played in ensuring 

the Task Force’s success.

MEMBERS OF THE VISION 2030 TASK FORCE

The National Science Board wishes to thank the many 

individuals who gave their time and thoughtful input to 

Vision 2030. 

Roger N. Beachy, Chair Ellen Ochoa, Vice Chair

Vicki L. Chandler

Robert M. Groves

Julia M. Phillips

Maria T. Zuber

40 VISION 2030 VISION 2030 41
NSB MEMBERSHIP

Diane L. Souvaine

NSB Chair Professor of Computer Science; 

Adjunct Professor of Mathematics, Tufts 

University

Ellen Ochoa

NSB Vice Chair Director (retired), Lyndon B. 

Johnson Space Center

John L. Anderson

President, National Academy of Engineering

Roger N. Beachy

Professor Emeritus of Biology, Washington 

University, St. Louis

Arthur Bienenstock

Professor Emeritus of Photon Science, 

Stanford University

Vicki L. Chandler

Dean of Faculty, Minerva Schools at KGI

Maureen L. Condic

Associate Professor of Neurobiology; 

Anatomy University of Utah, 

School of Medicine

W. Kent Fuchs

President, University of Florida

Suresh V. Garimella

President, University of Vermont

Robert M. Groves

Provost and Executive Vice President; Gerard 

J. Campbell, S.J. Professor in the Math and 

Statistics Department; Professor in the 

Sociology Department, Georgetown University

James S. Jackson

Daniel Katz Distinguished University Professor 

of Psychology; Professor of Afroamerican and 

African Studies; Research Professor, Research 

Center for Group Dynamics, Institute for Social 

Research, University of Michigan

Steven Leath

President (retired), Iowa State University and 

Auburn University

W. Carl Lineberger

Fellow of JILA; E. U. Condon Distinguished 

Professor of Chemistry, University of Colorado

Victor R. McCrary

Vice President for Research and Graduate 

Programs; Professor of Chemistry, 

University of the District of Columbia

Emilio F. Moran

John A. Hannah Distinguished 

Professor of Global Change Science, 

Michigan State University

Sethuraman Panchanathan

Executive Vice President and Chief Research 

and Innovation Officer of Knowledge 

Enterprise Development; Director of the 

Center for Cognitive Ubiquitous Computing, 

Arizona State University

G.P. “Bud” Peterson

Professor, Woodruff School of Mechanical 

Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

Julia M. Phillips

Executive Emeritus, 

Sandia National Laboratories

Daniel A. Reed

Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs 

(Provost), University of Utah

Geraldine L. Richmond

Presidential Chair in Science and Professor 

of Chemistry University of Oregon

Anneila I. Sargent 

Ira S. Bowen Professor of Astronomy 

California Institute of Technology

S. Alan Stern

Associate Vice President and Special 

Assistant to the President, 

Southwest Research Institute

Stephen H. Willard

CEO, Cellphire, Inc.

Maria T. Zuber

Vice President for Research,

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

France A. Córdova

Director, National Science Foundation 

(March 31, 2014 – March 30, 2020) ex officio

John J. Veysey II

Executive Officer, National Science Board 

National Science Foundation

42 VISION 2030 VISION 2030 43
PHOTO 

CREDITS

Page 8-9: ATE Impacts 2018–2019

Page 14-15: Rice University, Jeff Fitlow

Page 18: University of California, San Diego

Page 21: NSF, NSO, AURA

Page 24-25: NSF

Page 28: NSF, Mike Lucibella

Page 31: ATE Impacts 2018–2019

Page 33: UC San Diego Jacobs School of 

Engineering, David Baillot

Page 35: NSF

Page 37: NSF, Cynthia Spence

Page 42-43: NSF

Page 45: LIGO, Caltech, MIT, Matt Heintze

To download this report, go to:

https://nsf.gov/nsb/publications/vision2030.pdf

44 VISION 2030 VISION 2030 45
National Science Board

2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22314 

Phone: (703) 292-7000

VISION 2030 46