Arizona
THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF)
BY THE NUMBERS
ARIZONA IN FY 2012
is the only federal agency whose mission includes support
for all fields of fundamental science and engineering.
“The most recent ten-year employment projections by
the U.S. Labor Department show that of the 20 fastest
growing occupations projected for 2014, 15 of them
require significant mathematics or science preparations
to successfully compete for a job.”
$157 Million: NSF funds awarded
13th: National ranking in NSF funds
26: NSF-funded institutions
496: NSF grants awarded
10: NSF research centers/facilities
−Arizona Governor Jan Brewer
EXAMPLES OF NSF-FUNDED RESEARCH IN ARIZONA
A team of investigators from the University of Arizona has developed mathematical tools to
model the natural forces that reshape shorelines. Their work offers a powerful new technique
to predict the effects of storms and the action of water along the coast.
An NSF-supported research team at Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute has
discovered new insights into the mechanism of photosynthesis. Their findings could contribute
to the development of organic solar cells, which are of commercial interest because of their
relatively low cost compared to traditional silicon solar cells.
With support from NSF's Division of Information and Intelligent Systems, a research team at
the University of Arizona has developed new head-mounted display technologies for use by
surgeons during medical procedures. The improved image projection may also have useful
applications for training and education, engineering, and entertainment.
Courtesy: www.research.gov/seeinnovation
INVESTMENT IN NSF = INVESTMENT IN ARIZONA INNOVATION
The University of Arizona Science and Technology
Park contributes nearly $3 billion annually to Pima
County’s economy and is one of the region’s
largest employment centers.1
In 2011, the biotechnology company Roche
announced an agreement to license several DNA
sequencing technologies developed by researchers
at Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute.3
Thirty-four patents were awarded to academic
institutions in Arizona in 2006.2
There are over 100,000 scientists and engineers in
Arizona’s workforce.2
Academic institutions in Arizona spent $831 million
on research and development activities in 2008.2
UA Tech Park’s Economic Impact Report (2010).
NSF Science and Engineering Indicators (2010).
3 ASU News [Science & Tech] (2011).
1
2
Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF)  1527 Eighteenth Street, NW  Washington, DC 20036  www.cnsfweb.org
Arizona
THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
(NSF) not only funds cutting-edge research at
institutions across the country; NSF’s education
initiatives ensure the U.S. will remain a global
leader in innovation for generations to come.
Since 1952, NSF has supported
45,000 graduate students through
research fellowships.
Arizona received $20 million in
NSF educational and human
resource funding in FY 2012.
EXAMPLES OF NSF-FUNDED EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN ARIZONA
Through NSF’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, four undergraduates and
three teachers spent a summer in Thailand to study solar energy materials. Participants cite
their experience conducting research in foreign countries as a major influence on their
knowledge of laboratory settings, and one of the program's participants went on to receive the
2007 State of Arizona Best Science Teachers of the Year award.
NSF-funded researchers at Arizona State University are working to better understand the
factors that contribute to science teacher attrition rates. Their study documents the
development of 120 beginning secondary teachers over a three year time span.
The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) annually awards approximately
2,000 three-year fellowships to outstanding graduate students pursuing advanced degrees in
science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. Past recipients of NSF GRFP awards
have gone on to become leading scientists and Nobel Prize winners.
Courtesy: www.research.gov/seeinnovation
“Our faculty are conducting amazing research at the frontier of knowledge…Our innovative, interdisciplinary
collaborations span the University’s academic and research disciplines.”
−University of Arizona President Dr. Eugene G. Sander
“…during the past six years our research enterprise more than doubled its expenditures, surpassing the $300
million level for the first time in FY 2009. Estimates for FY 2010 expenditures exceed $370 million…To
provide some perspective on the momentum of the trajectory, ASU conducted no significant funded research
prior to 1980.”
−Arizona State University President Dr. Michael M. Crow
Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF)  1527 Eighteenth Street, NW  Washington, DC 20036  www.cnsfweb.org