groups, employing by grant or contract such consulting services as it may deem necessary for the purpose of such evaluations; and to take into consideration the results of such evaluations in correlating the research and educational programs undertaken or supported by the Foundation with programs, projects, and studies undertaken by agencies of the Federal Government, by individuals, and by public and private research groups;

(6) to provide a central clearinghouse for the collection, interpretation, and analysis of data on scientific and engineering and to provide a source of information for policy formulation by other agencies of the Federal Government; and

(7) to initiate and maintain a program for the determination of the total amount of money for scientific and engineering research, including money allocated for the construction of the facilities wherein such research is conducted, received by each educational institution and appropriate nonprofit organization in the United States, by grant, contract, or other arrangement from agencies of the Federal Government, and to report annually thereon to the President and the Congress.

(b) The foundation is authorized to initiate and support specific scientific and engineering activities in connection with matters relating to international cooperation, national security, and the effects of scientific and engineering applications upon society by making contracts or other arrangements (including grants, loans, and other forms of assistance) for the conduct of such activities. When initiated or supported pursuant to requests made by any other Federal department or agency, including the Office of Technology Assessment, such activities shall be financed whenever feasible from funds transferred to the Foundation by the requesting official as provided in section 14(f), and any such activities shall be unclassified and shall be identified by the Foundation as being undertaken at the request of the appropriate official.

(c) In addition to the authority contained in subsections (a) and (b), the Foundation is authorized to initiate and support scientific and engineering research, including applied research, at academic and other nonprofit institutions. When so directed by the President, the Foundation is further authorized to support, through other appropriate organizations, applied scientific research and engineering research relevant to national problems involving the public interest. In exercising the authority contained in this subsection, the Foundation may employ by grant or contract such consulting services as it deems necessary, and shall coordinate and correlate its activities with respect to any such problem with other agencies of the Federal Government undertaking similar programs in that field.

(d) The Board and the Director shall recommend and encourage the pursuit of national policies for the promotion of research and education in science and engineering.

(e) In exercising the authority and discharging the functions referred to in the foregoing subsections, it shall be an objective of the Foundation to strengthen research and education in the sciences and engineering, including independent research by indi

viduals, throughout the United States, and to avoid undue concentration of such research and education.

(f) The Foundation shall render an annual report to the President for submission on or before the 15th day of April of each year to the Congress, summarizing the activities of the Foundation and making such recommendations as it may deem appropriate. Such report shall include information as to the acquisition and disposition by the Foundation of any patents and patent rights.

(g) In carrying out subsection (a)(4), the Foundation is authorized to foster and support access by the research and education communities to computer networks which may be used substantially for purposes in addition to research and education in the sciences and engineering, if the additional uses will tend to increase the overall capabilities of the networks to support such research and education activities.

NATIONAL SCIENCE BOARD

SEC. 4. [42 U.S.C. 1863] (a) The Board shall consist of twentyfour members to be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and of the Director ex officio. In making nominations under this section, the President shall give due regard to equitable representation of scientists who are women or who represent minority groups. In addition to any powers and functions otherwise granted to it by this Act, the Board shall establish the policies of the Foundation.

(b) The Board shall have an Executive Committee as provided in section 7, and may delegate to it or to the Director or both such of the powers and functions granted to the Board by this Act as it deems appropriate.

(c) The persons nominated for appointment as members of the Board (1) shall be eminent in the fields of the basic, medical, or social sciences, engineering, agriculture, education, research management or public affairs; (2) shall be selected solely on the basis of established records of distinguished service and (3) shall be so selected as to provide representation of the views of scientific and engineering leaders in all areas of the Nation. In making nominations under this section, the President shall give due regard to equitable representation of scientists and engineering who are women or who represent minority groups. The President is requested, in the making of nominations of persons for appointment as members, to give due consideration to any recommendations for nomination which may be submitted to him by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges, the Association of American Universities, the Association of American Colleges, the Association of State Colleges and Universities, or by other scientific, engineering, or educational organizations.

(d) The term of office of each member of the Board shall be six years; except that any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which his predecessor was appointed shall be appointed for the remainder of such term. Any person, other than the Director, who has been a member of the Board for twelve consecutive years shall thereafter be ineligible for

appointment during the two-year period following the expiration of such twelfth year.

(e) The Board shall meet annually on the third Monday in May unless, prior to May 10 in any year, the Chairman has set the annual meeting for a day in May other than the third Monday and at such other times as the Chairman may determine, but he shall also call a meeting whenever one-third of the members so request in writing. A majority of the members of the Board shall constitute a quorum. Each member shall be given notice, not less than fifteen days prior to any meeting, of the call of such meeting.

(f) The election of the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Board shall take place at each annual meeting occurring in an even-numbered year. The Vice Chairman shall perform the duties of the Chairman in his absence. In case a vacancy occurs in the chairmanship or vice chairmanship, the Board shall elect a member to fill such vacancy.

(g) The Board may, with the concurrence of a majority of its members, permit the appointment of a staff consisting of not more than five professional staff members and such clerical staff members as may be necessary. Such staff shall be appointed by the Director and assigned at the direction of the Board. The professional members of such staff may be appointed without regard to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in the competitive service, and the provisions of chapter 51 of such title relating to classification, and compensated at a rate not exceeding the maximum rate payable under section 5376 of such title, as may be necessary to provide for the performance of such duties as may be prescribed by the Board in connection with the exercise of its powers and functions under this Act. Each appointment under this subsection shall be subject to the same security requirements as those required for personnel of the Foundation appointed under section 14(a).

(h) The Board is authorized to establish such special commissions as it may from time to time deem necessary for the purposes of this Act.

(i) The Board is also authorized to appoint from among its members such committees as it deems necessary, and to assign to committees so appointed such survey and advisory functions as the Board deems appropriate to assist it in exercising its powers and functions under this Act.

(j)(1) The Board shall render to the President, for submission to the Congress no later than January 15 of each even numbered year, a report on indicators of the state of science and engineering in the United States.

(2) The Board shall render to the President for submission to the Congress reports on specific, individual policy matters related to science and engineering and education in science and engineering, as the Board, the President, or the Congress determines the need for such reports.

(k) Portions of Board meetings in which the Board considers proposed Foundation budgets for a particular fiscal year may be closed to the public until the President's budget for that fiscal year has been submitted to the Congress.

(1) Members of the Board shall be required to file a financial disclosure report under title II of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App. 92 Stat. 1836), except that such reports shall be held confidential and exempt from any law otherwise requiring their public disclosure.

DIRECTOR OF THE FOUNDATION

SEC. 5. [42 U.S.C. 1864] (a) The Director of the Foundation (referred to in this Act as the "Director") shall be appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. Before any person is appointed as Director, the President shall afford the Board an opportunity to make recommendations to him with respect to such appointment. The Director shall receive basic pay at the rate provided for level II of the Executive Schedule under section 5313 of title 5, United States Code, and shall serve for a term of six years unless sooner removed by the President.

(b) Except as otherwise specifically provided in this Act (1) the Director shall exercise all of the authority granted to the Foundation by this Act (including any powers and functions which may be delegated to him by the Board), and (2) all actions taken by the Director pursuant to the provisions of this Act (or pursuant to the terms of a delegation from the Board) shall be final and binding upon the Foundation.

(c) The Director may from time to time make such provisions as he deems appropriate authorizing the performance by any other officer, agency, or employee of the Foundation of any of his functions under this Act, including functions delegated to him by the Board; except that the Director may not redelegate policy-making functions delegated to him by the Board.

(d) The formulation of programs in conformance with the policies of the Foundation shall be carried out by the Director in consultation with the Board.

(e)(1) The Director may make grants, contracts, and other arrangements pursuant to section 11(c) only with the prior approval of the Board, or under authority delegated by the Board, and subject to such conditions as the Board may specify.

(2) Any delegation of authority or imposition of conditions under paragraph (1) shall be promptly published in the Federal Register and reported to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources, and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, of the Senate and the Committee on Science of the House of Representatives.

(f) The Director, in his capacity as ex officio member of the Board, shall, except with respect to compensation and tenure, be coordinate with the other members of the Board. He shall be a voting member of the Board and shall be eligible for election by the Board as Chairman or Vice Chairman of the Board.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND ASSISTANT DIRECTORS

SEC. 6. [42 U.S.C. 1864a] There shall be a Deputy Director of the Foundation (referred to in this Act as the "Deputy Director") who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. Before any person is appointed as Dep

uty Director, the President shall afford the Board and the Director an opportunity to make recommendations to him with respect to such appointment. The Deputy Director shall receive basic pay at the rate provided for level III of the Executive Schedule under section 5314 of title 5, United States Code, and shall perform such duties and exercise such powers as the Director may prescribe. The Deputy Director shall act for, and exercise the powers of, the Director during the absence or disability of the Director or in the event of a vacancy in the office of Director.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

SEC. 7. [42 U.S.C. 1865] (a) There shall be an Executive Committee of the Board (referred to in this Act as the "Executive Committee”), which shall be composed of five members and shall exercise such powers and functions as may be delegated to it by the Board. Four of the members shall be elected as provided in subsection (b), and the Director ex officio shall be the fifth member and the chairman of the Executive Committee.

(b) At each of its annual meetings the Board shall elect two of its members as members of the Executive Committee, and the Executive Committee members so elected shall hold office for two years from the date of their election. Any person, other than the Director, who has been a member of the Executive Committee for six consecutive years shall thereafter be ineligible for service as a member thereof during the two-year period following the expiration of such sixth year. For the purposes of this subsection, the period between any two consecutive annual meetings of the Board shall be deemed to be one year.

(c) Any person elected as a member of the Executive Committee to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which his predecessor was elected shall be elected for the remainder of such term.

(d) The Executive Committee shall render an annual report to the Board, and such other reports as it may deem necessary, summarizing its activities and making such recommendations as it may deem appropriate. Minority views and recommendations, if any, of members of the Executive Committee shall be included in such reports.

DIVISIONS WITHIN THE FOUNDATION

SEC. 8. [42 U.S.C. 1866] There shall be within the Foundation such Divisions as the Director, in consultation with the Board, may from time to time determine.

SPECIAL COMMISSIONS

SEC. 9. [42 U.S.C. 1868] (a) Each special commission established under section 4(h) shall be appointed by the Board and shall consist of such members as the Board considers appropriate.

(b) Special commissions may be established to study and make recommendations to the Foundation on issues relating to research and education in science and engineering.