§ 1862s–1 — Transparency And Accountability

(1) building the understanding of and confidence in investments in basic research is essential to public support for sustained, predictable Federal funding; (2) the Foundation has improved transparency and accountability of the outcomes made through the merit review process, but additional transparency into individual grants is valuable in communicating and assuring the public value of federally funded research; and (3) the Foundation should commit to transparency and accountability and to clear, consistent public communication regarding the national interest for each Foundation-awarded grant and cooperative agreement. (1) The Director of the Foundation shall issue and periodically update, as appropriate, policy guidance for both Foundation staff and other Foundation merit review process participants on the importance of transparency and accountability to the outcomes made through the merit review process. (2) The guidance under paragraph (1) shall require that each public notice of a Foundation-funded research project justify the expenditure of Federal funds by— (A) describing how the project— (i) reflects the statutory mission of the Foundation, as established in the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1861 et seq.); and (ii) addresses the Foundation’s intellectual merit and broader impacts criteria; and (B) clearly identifying the research goals of the project in a manner that can be easily understood by both technical and non-technical audiences.