It is time for the Foundation to move beyond rhetorical state- ments about the value of strategic research or the importance of using science for the transfer of knowledge and technology. That, in the Committee's view, is a fact of life and political reality. The agency must spell out how much of its mis- sion should clearly be strategic and applied in nature, and then to implement these parameters through its budget process. This must be done directorate by directorate. Such a transition, as painful and as difficult as it might prove for some in the scientific community, is as necessary and vital for the future of the Nation as was Vannevar Bush's revolutionary vi- sion for this community more than 40 years ago.
Science is fundamentally about pursuing new ideas and new ways of thinking.
This era of change is in that spirit, and is about the renewal of science rather than its diminution. These milestones should include a vigorous evaluation component that guarantees that programs which begin can be terminated if they lose their effectiveness or are displaced by higher prior- ity initiatives. These milestones should also specify the degree of industrial participation in each of the NSF components of these initiatives and the justification for whatever threshold is proposed. They should also provide the basis for a vigorous evaluation that will ensure an increased ability to determine overall program effectiveness and assist in determining rel- ative priorities in times of funding constraints. As a prelude to this revised strategic plan, the 1994 operating plan should em- ploy this process.