III 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 610 

Commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Graduate Research Fellowship 

Program of the National Science Foundation. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 5, 2012 

Mr. ROCKEFELLER (for himself and Mrs. HUTCHISON) submitted the 

following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Graduate Research Fellowship Program of the National Science 

Foundation. 

Whereas the United States is a world leader in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fundamental research and related education; 

Whereas an excellent STEM higher-education system is critical to the development of a robust and inclusive U.S. 

STEM workforce and to U.S. global science and engineering preeminence; 

Whereas Congress and President Harry S. Truman created 

the National Science Foundation (NSF), an independent 

Federal agency, 62 years ago specifically to advance scientific discovery and innovation through the Nation’s 

basic research and STEM education infrastructure; 


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•SRES 610 ATS 

Whereas fundamental research supported by NSF across all 

scientific disciplines have resulted in many significant 

contributions to Americans’ health and security, as well 

as to technological innovation and U.S. economic prosperity; 

Whereas advances in knowledge are made possible by researchers who focus on the fundamental properties of nature, and who mentor and educate the next generation of 

scientists and engineers; 

Whereas 60 years ago, NSF purposefully created the Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) as an instrument to prepare the Nation’s reservoir of science and engineering talent; 

Whereas the GRFP, the country’s oldest graduate fellowship 

program, supports outstanding graduate students pursuing masters and doctoral degrees in research at accredited U.S. institutions; 

Whereas the GRFP has contributed to the development of 

outstanding U.S. scholars, entrepreneurs, teachers, mentors, and inventors who continue to support and promote 

the Nation’s science and engineering enterprise and the 

next generation of scientists and engineers; 

Whereas this flagship program helps maintain high-quality 

and highly skilled graduates who enter the Nation’s 

STEM workforce prepared to innovate and collaborate in 

the global scientific arena; 

Whereas NSF has funded more than 46,500 competitive 

graduate research fellows with selection criteria based on 

the intellectual merit of their research and its potential 

broader impacts for society; 


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Whereas of the more than 200 NSF-supported Nobel laureates, 40 were selected as graduate research fellows, and 

more than 440 graduate research fellows have become 

members of the National Academy of Sciences; 

Whereas graduate research fellows have an exceptionally high 

rate of doctorate completion; 

Whereas since 2001, graduate research fellows have filed 

more than 1,000 patents while working toward their 

graduate degrees, thus contributing directly to scientific 

advancement and discovery; 

Whereas since 2007, 1145 graduate research fellows were selected from Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research jurisdictions; and 

Whereas NSF’s GRFP continues to be an essential component of the Nation’s discovery and innovation ecosystem, 

and is instrumental in STEM workforce development: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) commemorates the 60th anniversary of the 

3 Graduate Research Fellowship Program of the Na4 tional Science Foundation; and 

5 (2) continues to recognize U.S. STEM graduate 

6 education as central to U.S. workforce competitive7 ness and our country’s international leadership and 

8 economic prosperity. 

Æ 


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