National Science Foundation

The National Science Foundation (NSF), located in Washington, D.C., 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 $6.06 billion, the Foundation is 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.

The Ocean Observatories Initiative is supported through NSF's Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction program.