National Science Foundation Authorization Act
PL 95-99 (H.R.4991), enacted 08/15/1977

PUBLIC LAW 95-99—AUG. 15, 1977 
91 STAT. 831 
Public Law 95-99 
95th Congress 
An Act 
To authorize appropriations for aetivities of the National Science Foundation, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress asserribled^ That this Act may 
be cited as the "National Science Foundation Authorization Act, Fis-
cal Year 1978". 
SEC. 2. (a) There is authorized to be appropriated to the National 
Science Foundation $879,350,000 for the fiscal year 1978. 
(b) Funds authorized under subsection (a) shall be available for 
the following categories: 
(1) Mathematical and Physical Sciences and Engineering, 
$246,500,000. 
(2) Astronomical, Atmospheric, Earth, and Ocean Sciences, 
$210,500,000. 
(3) United States Antarctic Eesearch Program, $47,475,000. 
(4) Biological, Behavioral, and Social Sciences, $142,500,000. 
(5) Basic Research Stability Grants, $4,500,000, or 2 per centum 
of the funds available for categories (1), (2), and (4) of this 
subsection, whichever is less. 
(6) Science Education Programs, $83,300,000. 
(7) Research Applied to National Needs, $75,850,000. 
(8) Scientific, 
Technological, 
and 
International 
Affairs, 
$20,900,000. 
(9) Program Development and Management, $47,825,000. 
SEC. 3. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this or any 
other Act, of the total amount authorized under section 2(b)(6)— 
(1) $11,900,000 shall be available for Graduate Fellowships; 
(2) $1,200,000 shall be available for the program "Continuing 
Education for Scientists and Engineers"; 
(3) $3,000,000 shall be available for the program "Resource 
Center for Science and Engineering"; 
(4) $2,500,000 shall be available for the program "Minorities, 
Women, and the Handicapped in Science"; 
(5) $1,800,000 shall be available for the program "Science for 
Citizens"; 
(6) $2,600,000 shall be available for the program "Public 
Understanding of Science"; 
(7) $1,400,000 shall be available for the program "Ethics and 
Values in Science and Technology"; 
(8) $500,000 shall be available for a comprehensive assessment 
of science education in two-year colleges; 
(9) $14,500,000 shall be available for the program' "Compre-
hensive Assistance to Undergraduate Science Education"; and 
(10) $6,000,000 shall be available for the program "Pre-College 
Teacher Development". 
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this or any other Act, 
$4,000,000 shall be available for the program "Policy Research and 
Analysis" authorized under section 2(b)(8). 
Aug. 15, 1977 
[H.R. 4991] 
National Science 
Foundation 
Authorization 
Act, Fiscal year 
1978. 
42 u s e 1861 
note. 
2 9 - 1 9 4 
0 - 8 0 
91 STAT. 832 
PUBLIC LAW 95-99—AUG. 15, 1977 
Urban and 
human services 
problems. 
Cooperative 
research projects. 
Small business 
concerns. 
Bilateral and 
multilateral 
research 
programs. 
Science and 
technology. 
42 use 1862 
note. 
(c) Of the appropriations made pursuant to section 2(b) (7), not 
less than 25 per centum shall be available for "Applied Social 
Research" and for "Policy-related Scientific Research" directed 
toward increasing the cost-effectiveness of policies and programs deal-
ing with urban and human service problems at the Federal, State, 
and local government levels, including use of such funds to identify, 
analyze, and contribute knowledge to improve productivity in the 
public sector, to identify, analyze, and evaluate more effective, efficient, 
and equitable ways of delivering human services, and to develop the 
data base and analytical techniques required for improving applied 
research on municipal systems and human service delivery. 
SEC. 4. (a) From funds authorized under section 2(b) (1), (2), and 
(4) the National Science Foundation is authorized to increase support 
for cooperative research projects involving researchers from the 
industrial and academic sectors. 
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this or any other Act, 
not less than 12.5 per centum of the amount provided under section 
2(b) (7) shall be available for small business concerns. 
(c) In the use of the funds made available pursuant to section 2(b) 
(8) for "International Cooperative Scientific Activities", emphasis 
shall be placed on bilateral and multilateral research and exchange 
programs, particularly programs involving Western Europe and 
neighboring countries in the Western Hemisphere. The Director of the 
National Science Foundation shall consult with the Director of the 
Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Secretary of State, and 
other appropriate officials to assure that the programs carried out 
under this subsection are consistent with the international scientific 
and foreign policy objectives of the United States. 
SEC. 5. (a) From the funds authorized under the program "Science 
and Society", the National Science Foundation is authorized to pro-
vide support which is designed to— 
(1) improve public understanding of public policy issues 
involving science and technology; 
(2) facilitate the participation of qualified scientists and engi-
neers and of undergraduate and graduate students in public 
activities aimed at the resolution of public policy issues having 
significant scientific and technical aspects; and 
(3) assist nonprofit, citizens, and bona fide public interest 
groups to acquire necessary scientific and technical expertise in 
order to improve their comprehension of scientific and technical 
aspects of public policy issues. 
(b) Awards made pursuant to this section shall, to the extent fea-
sible, include support for— 
(1) qualified scientists and engineers to work on public policy 
issues with significant scientific and technical components in con-
junction with units of State and local government, nonprofit 
organizations, or bona fide public interest groups; 
(2) internship programs for science and engineering under-
graduate or graduate students to work on public policy issues with 
significant scientific and technical components in conjunction with 
units of State and local government, nonprofit organizations, or 
bona fide public interest groups as part of their academic training; 
(3) forums, conferences, and workshops on public policy issues 
with significant scientific and technical components; 
(4) training in the presentation of scientific and technical 
studies in a manner which (A) improves public understanding of 
PUBLIC LAW 95-99—AUG. 15, 1977 
91 STAT. 833 
the ways in which science and technology influence contemporary 
life, (B) improves public access to the results of scientific and 
technical research, (C) encourages and facilitates interaction be-
tween laypersons and scientists on public issues with important 
scientific and technological components, and (D) increases public 
knowledge and understanding of the ethical and value implica-
tions of scientific and technological developments; 
(5) new and existing programs using radio or television to 
increase public understanding of public policy issues with signif-
icant scientific and technical components; and 
(6) bona fide public interest groups to acquire necessary scien-
tific and technical expertise relating to the scientific and tech-
nical aspects of public policy issues and to enable such groups to 
bring together in appropriate forums experts whose research has 
been directed to the resolution of such issues. 
SEC. 6. (a) The National Science Foundation shall establish a 
Resource Center for Science and Engineering to be located at an educa-
tional institution which— 
(1) enrolls substantial numbers of minority students, students 
from low-income families, or both; 
(2) is geographically located near one or more population 
centers of low-income families or minority groups; 
(3) demonstrates a commitment to encouraging and assisting 
minority students or students from low-income families, or both; 
and 
(4) has an existing or developing capacity to offer doctoral 
programs in science and engineering. 
(b) The Center established under this section shall— 
(1) support basic research and the acquisition of necessary 
research facilities and equipment; 
(2) serve as a regional resource in science and engineering for 
the community which the Center serves; and 
(3) develop joint educational programs with nearby pre-coUege 
and undergraduate institutions which enroll a substantial number 
of minority students or students from low-income families. 
SEC. 7. In addition to such sums as are authorized by section 2, not 
to exceed $4,900,000 is authorized to be appropriated for the fiscal year 
1978 for expenses of the National Science Foundation incurred outside 
the United States to be paid for in foreign currencies which the 
Treasury Department determines to be excess to the normal require-
ments of the United States. 
SEC. 8. Appropriations made pursuant to this Act may be used, but 
not to exceed $5,000, for official consultation, representation, or other 
extraordinary expenses upon the approval or authority of the Direc-
tor of the National Science Foundation, and his deteirmination shall 
be final and conclusive upon the accounting officers of the Government. 
SEC. 9. The National Science Foundation is directed to issue instruc-
tions to grantees for pre-college curriculum projects covering the 
protection of pre-college students and procedures for involving such 
students in pre-college education research and development, pilot-
testing, evaluation, and revision of experimental and innovative pre-
college curriculum projects funded by the Foundation. These 
instructions shall require such grantees to obtain written approval of 
the school board or comparable authority responsible for the schools 
prior to the involvement of such students. 
• 
• i ; , 
i.iK^i J 
Resource Center 
for Science and 
Engineering. 
Establishment. 
42 u s e 1884. 
Foreign 
currencies. 
Extraordinary 
expenses. 
Pre-college 
curriculum 
projects. 
42 u s e 1869b. 
91 STAT. 834 
PUBLIC LAW 95-99—AUG. 15, 1977 
Financial or other 
interest 
statements. 
42 u s e 1873a. 
Availability to 
public. 
Penalty. 
Standards, 
publication. 
Report to 
Congress. 
Funds, transfer, 
limitation. 
Report to 
Speaker of the 
House, President 
of the Senate, and 
congressional 
committees. 
SEC. 10. (a) (1) Each officer or employee of the National Science 
Foundation who performs a decisionmaking function in the handling 
of any application or proposal for a grant from or contract with the 
Foundation shall provide a written statement for the record identify-
ing (in accordance with the standards promulgated under subsection 
(b)) any financial interest or other relevant interest he or she has in 
the person submitting the application or proposal and any academic 
affiliation he or she has with that person. If the application or proposal 
results in an award, the statement shall be made available to the public. 
(2) The Director shall remove or take other appropriate discipli-
nary action against any employee who knowingly violates the require-
ments of this subsection. 
(b) (1) Within 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Director of the National Science Foundation shall publish— 
(A) proposed standards to implement the requirements of sub-
section (a), designed to minimize conflicts of interest and to 
assure that the appropriate files of the Foundation relating to any 
grant or contract referred to in such subsection contain a state-
ment of any financial or other relevant interest which any of the 
officers and employees involved may have in the person or insti-
tution applj^ing for or proposing the grant or contract as well as 
any academic affiliation which any of such officers and employees 
; 
may have with such person or institution; and 
(B) proposed standards appropriately requiring identification 
of any conflicts of interest by peer reviewers. 
(2) Within 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Director shall promulgate the standards published under paragraph 
(1), with such modifications as the Director may deem appropriate; 
and such standards shall take effect upon their promulgation. 
(c) The Director shall report annually to the Congress on the 
administration and enforcement of this section. 
(d) If the President issues an Executive order that requires finan-
cial disclosure by officers and employees of Federal agencies generally, 
only so much of this section as relates to peer reviewers and to 
academic affiliations of officers and employees shall remain effective. 
SEC. 11. Appropriations made pursuant to this Act shall remain 
available for obligation, for expenditure, or for obligation and expend-
iture, for such period or periods as may be specified in the Acts making 
such appropriations. 
SEC. 12. No funds may be transferred from any particular category 
listed in section 2 to any other category or categories listed in such 
section if the total of the funds so transferred from that particular 
category would exceed 10 per centum thereof, and no funds may be 
transferred to any particular category listed in section 2 from any 
other category or categories listed in such section if the total of the 
funds so transferred to that particular category would exceed 10 per 
centum thereof, unless— 
(1) a period of thirty legislative days has passed after the 
Director of the National Science Foundation or his designee has 
transmitted to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and 
to the President of the Senate and to the Committee on Science 
and Technology of the House of Representatives and to the Com-
mittee on Human Resources of the Senate a written report con-
taining a full and complete statement concerning the nature of 
the transfer and the reason therefor, or 
PUBLIC LAW 95-99—AUG. 15, 1977 
91 STAT. 835 
(2) each such committee before the expiration of such period 
has transmitted to the Director written notice to the eflfect that 
such committee has no objection to the proposed action. 
SEC. 13. Notwithstanding any other provision of this or any other 
Act, the Director of the National Science Foundation shall keep the 
Committee on Science and Technology of the House of Kepresenta-
tives and the Committee on Human Resources of the Senate fully and 
currently informed with respect to all of the activities of the National 
Science Foundation. 
SEC. 14. (a) Section 3(e) of the National Science Foundation Act 
of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1862(e)) is amended by striking out "one of the 
objectives" and inserting in lieu thereof "an objective". 
(b) Section 4 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1863) is amended by adding at 
the end thereof the following new subsection: 
"(j) The Board shall render an annual report to the President, for 
submission to the Congress on or before March 31 in each year. Such 
report shall deal essentially, though not necessarily exclusively, with 
policy issues or matters which affect the Foundation or with which 
the Board in its official role as the policymaking body of the Founda-
tion is concerned.". 
(c) Section 14(d) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1873(d)) is amended to 
read as follows: 
"(d) The members of the Board and the members of each special 
commission shall receive compensation for each day engaged in the 
business of the Foundation at a rate fixed by the Chairman but not 
exceeding the rate specified for the daily rate for GS-18 of the Gen-
eral Schedule under section 5332 of title 5, United States Code, and 
shall be allowed travel expenses as authorized by section 5703 of title 
5, United States Code.". 
Approved August 15, 1977. 
Notice to 
congressional 
committees. 
42 use 1882. 
Report to 
President, 
submittal to 
Congress. 
Compensation. 
5 u s e 5332 note. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 95-98 (Comm. on Science and Technology) and No. 95-504 
(Comm. of Conference). 
SENATE REPORTS: No. 95-92 (Comm. on Human Resources) and 95-93 accompany-
ing S. 855 (Comm. on Human Resources). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 123 (1977): 
Mar. 24, considered and passed House. 
May 5, considered and passed Sehate, amended, in lieu of S. 855. 
Aug. 4, House agreed to conference report. 
Aug. 5, Senate agreed to conference report.