North Carolina
THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF)
is the only federal agency whose mission includes support
for all fields of fundamental science and engineering.
“In today’s digital, globally-connected economy,
employees with [science, technology, engineering, and
math] skills and education are frequently essential to
business success.”
BY THE NUMBERS
NORTH CAROLINA IN FY 2011
$179 Million: NSF funds awarded
12th: National ranking in NSF funds
41: NSF-funded institutions
650: NSF grants awarded
10: NSF research centers/facilities
-Cynthia Marshall, President of AT&T North Carolina
Past President of the NC Chamber
EXAMPLES OF NSF-FUNDED RESEARCH IN NORTH CAROLINA
NSF-funded researchers have demonstrated that plant cells activate timed defenses in
anticipation of pests. The findings could help farmers predict when plants are most vulnerable
to disease attacks, and enable agriculturalists to make efficient use of costly pesticides by
applying them when plants need them the most.
NSF-supported researchers have developed a novel molecular imaging technique to identify
different kinds of cancer cells. The scientists combined light and color to track the path of
cancer-causing molecules on the surface of a cell. Their work could lead to improved detection
of cancer in its earlier stages as well as more effective treatments.
A new statistical framework developed by NSF-funded researchers can be used in real time to
improve the forecasting of hurricane winds and the associated storm surge, enabling better
implementation of mitigation strategies that lessen the impacts of these events. The onshore
rush of seawater associated with hurricane winds can lead to major losses of property, billions
of dollars in damage, and large numbers of fatalities.
Courtesy: www.research.gov/seeinnovation
INVESTMENT IN NSF = INVESTMENT IN NORTH CAROLINA INNOVATION
Collectively, North Carolina State University
(NC State) faculty have earned more than 85
NSF career and presidential awards in the
past ten years.1
In FY 2010, NC State engineering and
materials science discoveries served as the
basis for four new start-up companies, and a
total of 50 patents were issued to NC State
researchers.2
In FY 2011, 73 percent of all research funding at
the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came
from the federal government. The same year,
technology transfer at the university resulted in 45
licensed inventions, 33 issued patents, and seven
start-up companies in FY 2011.3
Duke University received $49.8 million from NSF in
FY 2011.
1 NC
State University website: http://www.ncsu.edu/faculty-and-staff/.
NC State University Technology Transfer Annual Report 2010.
3 UNC 2011 Research Highlights.
2
Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF)  1527 Eighteenth Street, NW  Washington, DC 20036  www.cnsfweb.org
North Carolina
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
42,000 graduate students through
research fellowships.
North Carolina received $36.9
million in NSF educational funding
in FY 2011.
EXAMPLES OF NSF-FUNDED EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN NORTH CAROLINA
High school and middle school teachers participated in a three-week NSF-supported summer
class at North Carolina State University in Raleigh to learn molecular biology skills and
develop a lab exercise to use in their classrooms.
In a first for a historically black college or university, North Carolina A&T State University has
established undergraduate (BS) and graduate degree (MS) programs in bioengineering. With
support from NSF, the new programs have attracted strong interest from women and other
demographic groups underrepresented in the sciences and engineering.
The NSF-funded Duke Lemur Center (DLC) is a unique research and educational facility
devoted to the study and conservation of lemurs. Educational tours of the center are often
included in the lesson plans of local and regional science and biology classes. The DLC is
actively engaged in educational outreach by offering online resources and collaborating with
teachers to develop new science curricula.
Courtesy: www.research.gov/seeinnovation
“We all know that to compete effectively in the global economy, North Carolina and the nation desperately
need more scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and technology experts. Our UNC campuses are fully engaged
in attracting more students to these critical fields and preparing them for successful careers.”
−University of North Carolina System President Tom Ross, JD
“With a history measured in centuries rather than years or decades,…Nobel prize-winning faculty, and a
generation of students as intellectually curious and socially committed as any in history, research universities are
among the crown jewels of our society.”
−University Entrepreneur in Residence Buck Goldstein, JD & Chancellor Holden Thorp, PhD
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF)  1527 Eighteenth Street, NW  Washington, DC 20036  www.cnsfweb.org