NARRATORS: Imagine a world without the internet, CD's,
barcodes, MRIs, cellphones. You've imagined the early
1970's. But you've also imagined a world without the fundamental
research behind those technologies. Research
supported by NSF. New products and processes don't burst on
the scene full-grown. They begin with basic research. They begin
with the work of the bold, the imaginative, the curious, whose
discoveries and innovations, eventually, touch and shape
every aspect of our lives, drive our economy and change our
world. The National Science Foundation supports the people
and places at the frontiers of knowledge, at thousands of
institutions in every state in the nation. We spark
opportunities to pursue fundamental questions, unravel
mysteries, transform whole fields and create new ones.
CAROL ESPY-WILSON: Basic research is critical for
innovation. It all starts with basic research.
NARRATORS: About 200 NSF-supported scientists have
received the Nobel Prize for their ground-breaking
discoveries. We're the only Federal agency that supports
fundamental research in all fields of science and
engineering and education. And we help turn promising ideas
into jobs. Major market leaders, like Qualcomm and Symantec, were
once tiny startups helped along by NSF funding.
GARY HENDRIX: And, fortunately, the National
Science Foundation came along at just the right time and offered
a grant for small business.
IRWIN JACOBS: Qualcomm was very small when it received its first
SBIR grant, I think, in the order of 15 people or so. That
helped us continue ahead, grow, develop some technology.
GARY HENDRIX: Well, it meant the difference between starting
and not starting. It meant everything in those early days.
And now, today, it employs over 18,000 people.
IRWIN JACOBS: We now employ something over 21,000 people.
GARY HENDRIX: And it all started with that
little $25,000 grant.
IRWIN JACOBS: And so these things have very large
multiplier factors to them.
CAROL ESPY-WILSON: NSF funded my basic research, and now
they're giving me funding to take that basic research and
commercialize it. We're now building out our team, so we're
on our way.
NARRATORS: Today, the potential for new knowledge has
never been greater.
Can we use nanoparticles to attack bacteria in our bodies?
Can we get pollution-free energy from just water and light?
This could change the entire way we look at the problem.
Fundamental research can have real-world impact.
And keep us globally competitive. Clean energy. A
clean environment. Cyber security. Advanced
manufacturing. Science and engineering education. NSF is
exciting young minds, catalyzing talent for tomorrow.
SUBRA SURESH: We must inspire a new generation and prepare the
workforce to meet future challenges.
NARRATORS: We're entering a new era of observation; new sets of
eyes give us new visions of the universe; let us read millennia
of climate data in the Antarctic ice; observe the complex
dynamics of the ocean in real time and advance our ability to
design and build materials, molecule by molecule.
The result will be breakthrough technologies that transform our
economy. And our lives.
Ideas that seem way out today, are ideas that the public will
take for granted tomorrow.
Ideas that change everything.
Not very long ago, two NSF funded graduate students created
a page-rank method based on web links. Today we know their
work as Google.
ANDREW VITERBI: We, the industry, relies very heavily on
NSF to sponsor those types of research that will put us in the
lead, not today necessarily, but five to ten years out.
GARY HENDRIX: What really causes economic growth is always
innovation. So how do we get more of it? We invest in basic
research and that's as simple as that.
NARRATORS: Only a steady focus on the furthest frontier will
spur discovery; create the industries of tomorrow and keep
America the Innovation nation.
Support.
Spark.
Catalyze.
Create.
Inspire.
This is how NSF serves science and engineering.
So science and engineering can serve us.
SUBRA SURESH: We can understand our world and use that knowledge
to tackle present challenges.
NARRATORS: One world. One future. One NSF.