National Science Board to Meet August 5-6 in Arlington, Va.

On August 5 and 6, the National Science Board (NSB) will meet to address science and engineering policy issues and oversight of the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Open session highlights of the NSB meeting include:

Wed., August 5

8:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.

Developments in Regional Arctic Climate Modeling (Committee on Programs and Plans)Update on the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) (Committee on Programs and Plans)Details on the NSF Data Policy (Committee on Programs and Plans)STEM Education Grand Challenges (Committee on Education and Human Resources)

Thurs., August 6

8:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.

Human Resource Management at NSF (Committee on Audit and Oversight)Update on NSF awards using its $3 billion allocation of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds (Committee on Strategy and Budget & Committee on Audit and Oversight)

The full meeting agenda is posted at: http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/meetings/2009/0805/index.jsp.

Public visitors must arrange for a visitor's badge in advance in order to attend. Call 703-292-7000 to request your badge, which will be ready for pick-up at the visitor's desk on the day of the meeting. Media representatives are invited to attend all open sessions, subject to provisions of the Government in the Sunshine Act.

All meeting sessions will be held in rooms 1235 and 1295 at NSF headquarters: 4201 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Va. (Ballston metro stop).

Journalists interested in attending and covering the board meeting and/or interviewing NSF/NSB officials, should contact Lisa-Joy Zgorski at 703-292-8311 by 7 a.m. on Wed., August 6, to enable security arrangements.

The NSB is the 25-member policymaking body for the National Science Foundation and advisory body to the President and Congress on science and engineering issues. Drawn from universities and industry, and representing a variety of science and engineering disciplines and geographic areas, NSB members are selected for their eminence in research, education, or public service, and records of distinguished service. The NSB has 24 members that serve six-year terms. The 25th member is the NSF Director, an ex officio member of the NSB. For more background on the NSB and its current composition, visit: http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/about/index.jsp.

-NSF-

Membrane Breaks Through Performance Barrier

Engineers have developed a new method for creating high-performance membranes from crystal sieves called zeolites; the method could increase the energy efficiency of chemical separations up to 50 times over conventional methods and enable higher production rates. The ability to separate and purify specific molecules in a chemical mixture is essential to chemical manufacturing. Many industrial separations rely on distillation, a process that is easy to design and implement but consumes ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=115332&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

Researchers Link Jellyfish, Other Small Sea Creatures to Large-Scale Ocean Mixing

The ocean's smallest swimming animals, such as jellyfish, can have a huge impact on large-scale ocean mixing, researchers have discovered."The perspective we usually take is how the ocean--by its currents, temperature, and chemistry--is affecting animals," says John Dabiri, a Caltech bioengineer who, along with Caltech graduate student Kakani Katija, discovered the new mechanism. "But there have been increasing suggestions that the inverse is also important, ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=115295&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

NSF Selects University of Michigan Historian to Head Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has selected University of Michigan historian Myron Gutmann, director of the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research, to head its directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE). The directorate supports research that builds fundamental knowledge of human behavior, interaction, social and economic systems, and organizations and institutions.Gutmann, who specializes in historical demography and ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=115316&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

What Scientists Know About Jewel Beetle Shimmer

"Jewel beetles" are widely known for their glossy external skeletons that appear to change colors as the angle of view changes. Now they may be known for something else--providing a blueprint for materials that reflect light rather than absorbing it to produce colors.Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta recently discovered jewel beetles change color because of the light-reflecting properties of the cells that make up their external skeletons, not ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=115304&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

Remembering Walter Cronkite

The following is a statement by Arden L. Bement, Jr., Director, National Science Foundation.As the funeral for Walter Cronkite is held today in New York, we at the National Science Foundation want to add our voices to the many others who have saluted the veteran journalist and broadcaster. As the anchor of the CBS Evening News from 1961 and managing editor from 1963 until he retired in 1981, Cronkite brought the news of the world into our homes, often during turbulent ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=115309&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.