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8 ways the National Science Foundation supports our troops

Thursday, April 13, 2017

March 20, 2017

Today, the National Science Foundation (NSF) is usually associated with supporting scientists who go on to win Nobel Prizes, leading exploration of the planet's polar regions and enabling discoveries about the universe, from the subatomic world to distant galaxies. But the foundation also has ties to national defense that go back to its beginnings, as a product of the U.S. government working to enhance security during and after World War II. The National Science Foundation Act of 1950 called for the creation of an agency to "promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; and to secure the national defense."

And so NSF began.

"It was a time when many -- including NSF's founder, Vannevar Bush -- recognized the value of science and the need to foster its growth," said NSF historian Leo Slater. "Fundamental scientific research was important then, as it still is today, in fostering innovation and driving new applications that help the entire nation, including the military."

Click here to read the rest of the story via National Science Foundation