This Week's Activities

Mom, does this sculpture display look like the one we saw in England?

I apologize that I have not posted anything all week.  I have been busy at work, my batteries to my camera are dead, and I lost my phone.  I have no new pictures for you to see, but I will fill you in on some of activities.

I am learning a little of what I am going to be doing.  First, a little background.

"The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense…" With an annual budget of about $6.9 billion (FY 2010), we are the funding source for approximately 20 percent of all federally supported basic research conducted by America's colleges and universities. In many fields such as mathematics, computer science and the social sciences, NSF is the major source of federal backing." national Science Foundation website

My office manages grants to universities for research.  All of the submitted proposals must be reviewed by a panel to determine which ones get funded.  A big part of my job is to help set up and run the panels.  I will also read and be familiar with all of the proposals.  Our first panel is the first week in November.  

Besides office work at NSF, we also do lots of other activities.  This week I have

• listened to the TEA Party Rally on the White House steps
• visited the National American Indian Museum
• attended a live broadcast of NPR Talk of the Nation, The Gulf Oil Spill and Our Oceans-Can We Undo the Damage? by National Geographic
• went to a swing dance class

I also rode the Metro for hours, lost my cell phone, got lost try to drive from Maryland, and walked a lot.