Alaska THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF) is the only federal agency whose mission includes support for all fields of fundamental science and engineering. BY THE NUMBERS Alaska in FY 2016 $34 Million: NSF funds awarded 37th: National ranking in NSF funds 15: NSF-funded institutions 106: NSF grants awarded 2: NSF research centers/facilities “Our nation’s role as the world’s innovation leader is in serious jeopardy. The combination of eroding federal investments in research and higher education, additional cuts due to sequestration, and the enormous resources other nations are pouring into these areas is creating a new kind of deficit for the United States: an innovation deficit.” − Chancellor Tom Case, University of Alaska Anchorage EXAMPLES OF NSF-FUNDED RESEARCH IN ALASKA Researchers from the University of Alaska Fairbanks have discovered that changes in sea ice are affecting nearby terrestrial vegetation. Plant greenness, as measured by satellites, is declining as sea ice declines and summer temperatures increase. With funding from the NSF, linguists from the Sealaska Heritage Institute have extended documentation of the Tlingit language. The endangered language is spoken in southeast Alaska and parts of Canada and has four sounds that are not represented in any other known language. University of Alaska Anchorage researchers have detected plasticizers and bisphenol-A in North Pacific marine organisms. This is some of the first data necessary to begin monitoring plastic additives in the oceans. Courtesy: www.research.gov/seeinnovation INVESTMENT IN SCIENCE = INVESTMENT IN ALASKA Alaska has about 1,650 high technology businesses that employ 35,000 people.1 NSF-funded research contributed to the generation of 28 patent awards in Alaska between 2000 and 2009.2 About 4.6 percent of Alaskans work in science and engineering occupations.1 The University of Alaska Fairbanks ranks in the top 150 U.S. academic institutions in terms of science and engineering expenditures.3 Twenty-nine invention disclosures were reported by the University of Alaska Anchorage since January 2012.4 Alaska universities awarded 250 Master’s degrees and PhDs in science and engineering fields in 2013.1 1 Science and Engineering Indicators: 2016, NSF 2 R&D Dashboard 3 University of Alaska Fairbanks 4 University of Alaska Anchorage Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF)  www.cnsfweb.org

Alaska Since 1952, NSF has supported nearly 50,000 graduate students through research fellowships. Alaska received $1 million in NSF educational funding in FY 2016. 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. EXAMPLES OF NSF-FUNDED EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN ALASKA Students at 108 schools in Alaska are participating in a research program to monitor permafrost over the long term. Most of the monitoring sites are in remote communities. The program provides hand-on learning in the classroom. The Barrow Arctic Science Consortium supports a cultural exchange program that allows indigenous students from Alaska and Mexico to learn together about the diversity of ecosystems and cultures. The students engage in research for a month in each country. A team of scientists from the University of Alaska Southeast collaborated with a writer to create a journal for upper elementary school students. The science journal describes research in a way that is accessible to a younger audience. The University of Alaska Fairbanks organized an expedition for teachers to Mount Kilimanjaro. The educators connected with more than 6,500 students in 10 countries via teleconferences to answer questions about climate change. Courtesy: www.research.gov/seeinnovation “As a university system, the value we bring to Alaska depends on the quality of our graduates... [W]e have incorporated world-class research opportunities for students at every level of study... Remaining relevant today, within the high tempo environment created by technology throughout post-secondary education, will continue to require heavy lifting on the part of every one of us in order to meet and exceed student expectations.” − Patrick K. Gamble, Former President of the University of Alaska System − “Universities are not just job factories. At UAF we need to teach students to think, adapt, and use logic. They need to be able to research, write, compute and communicate. They need to be engaged in civic life, and understand our role in the global environment.” − Chancellor Brian Rogers, University of Alaska Fairbanks Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF)  www.cnsfweb.org