Barnard Professor Stephanie Pfirman Briefs National Science Board on Environmental Research and Education

New York, NY, May 13, 2002—On Thursday, May 9, Stephanie Pfirman, chair of the Environmental Science department at Barnard College, briefed the National Science Board (NSB) of the National Science Foundation (NSF) on a ten-year agenda for NSF's Environmental Research and Education portfolio. Pfirman's briefing took place during the Long-Range Planning section of the NSB meeting held May 8-9 in Washington, DC at NSF headquarters.

The ten-year agenda was developed by NSF's new Advisory Committee on Environmental Research and Education (AC-ERE), which is chaired by Pfirman. Including Pfirman, there are 18 members of the AC-ERE, eight of which are drawn from the eight advisory committees of other directorates. The AC-ERE was established in 2000 and Pfirman is its first chair.

"The members of the AC-ERE are very excited about this new agenda for NSF," said Pfirman. "It will not only bring new discoveries, but also bring potential improvements in quality of life."

The plan builds largely on the NSB report, "Environmental Science and Engineering in the 21st Century: The Role of the National Science Foundation," published in 2000, and "Grand Challenges in Environmental Sciences," published by the National Academy of Sciences in 2001. The NSB identified the environment as a key priority area for NSF and recommended raising its level of support in this area to $1.6 billion, which would represent a $1 billion increase over its $600 million budget in 2000.
Since 2000, investment in environmental research and education has increased to about $800 million.

Highlighted in the draft agenda are new areas for interdisciplinary investment in research and building capacity. In research, those investment areas include freshwater resources and environmental change, environmental services and valuation, decision-making and uncertainty. In building capacity, investment areas are K-12 urban "back yard" education, community colleges, long term archives and regional or problem-based centers.

The ten-year agenda will be posted on the web for public comment next week. (http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/meetings/2002/nsb0264/nsb0264.htm)
The AC-ERE plans to approve it for publication at its October 2002 meeting.

Contact: Petra Tuomi, Office of Public Affairs, 212-854-7907
James Griffith, Office of Public Affairs, 212-854-7583