42 U.S.C. § 1861
Section 1861 · Establishment; composition
Amended 1 time on record
Applied in 8 court decisions — leading case Dluhos v. Strasberg (2003)
Most recently applied in Collins v. Yellen (June 2021)
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year.Markers show enactment, consequential amendments, and circuit splits over this section — watch for a citation surge after a change or a disagreement. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
There is established in the executive branch of the Government an independent agency to be known as the National Science Foundation (hereinafter referred to as the “Foundation”). The Foundation shall consist of a National Science Board (hereinafter referred to as the “Board”) and a Director.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
Short Title of 1992 Amendment
Pub. L. 102–476, §1, Oct. 23, 1992, 106 Stat. 2297, provided that: “This Act [enacting sections 1862h to 1862j of this title and amending section 1862 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Scientific and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992’.”
Short Title of 1988 Amendments
Pub. L. 100–570, §1, Oct. 31, 1988, 102 Stat. 2865, provided that: “This Act [enacting sections 1862a to 1862g, 1870a, and 1881b of this title, amending sections 1863, 1873, 1874, and 1885c of this title and sections 3011 to 3013 of Title 20, Education, repealing former sections 1862a and 1862b of this title, enacting provisions set out as notes under sections 1861, 1875, and 7704 of this title and section 3911 of Title 20, and repealing provisions set out as a note under section 1861 of this title] may be cited as the ‘National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 1988’.”
Pub. L. 100–570, title II, §201, Oct. 31, 1988, 102 Stat. 2873, provided that: “This title [enacting sections 1862a to 1862d of this title, repealing former sections 1862a and 1862b of this title, and repealing provisions set out as a note under section 1861 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Academic Research Facilities Modernization Act of 1988’.”
Pub. L. 100–418, title VI, §6401, Aug. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 1542, which provided that subtitle E (§§6401–6403) of title VI of Pub. L. 100–418, enacting sections 1862a and 1862b of this title, was to be cited as the “National Science Foundation University Infrastructure Act of 1988”, was repealed by Pub. L. 100–570, title II, §206, Oct. 31, 1988, 102 Stat. 2878.
Short Title of 1986 Amendment
Pub. L. 99–383, §1, Aug. 21, 1986, 100 Stat. 813, provided: “That this Act [amending sections 1862, 1864a, 1869, and 1870 of this title and section 5316 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, repealing sections 1876 to 1879 of this title, and enacting provisions set out as notes under sections 1885a and 6614 of this title] may be cited as the ‘National Science Foundation Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1987’.”
Short Title of 1985 Amendment
Pub. L. 99–159, title I, §101, Nov. 22, 1985, 99 Stat. 887, provided that: “This title [enacting section 1886 of this title, amending sections 1862, 1863, 1864, 1868 to 1872, 1873, 1874, 1881a, 1882, and 1885 to 1885d of this title, repealing sections 1873a and 1884 of this title, and amending provisions set out as notes under sections 1861 and 1882 of this title] may be cited as the ‘National Science Foundation Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1986’.”
Short Title of 1980 Amendment
Pub. L. 96–516, §1, Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 3007, as amended by Pub. L. 99–159, title I, §111(a), Nov. 22, 1985, 99 Stat. 892, provided: “That this Act [enacting sections 1885 to 1885d of this title, amending sections 1863, 1874, 1875, 1881, and 1881a of this title, and enacting provisions set out as notes under sections 1861, 1864, 1866, and 1885 of this title] may be cited as the ‘National Science Foundation Authorization and Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act’.”
Pub. L. 96–516, §31, Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 3010, as amended by Pub. L. 99–159, title I, §111(b)(1), Nov. 22, 1985, 99 Stat. 892, provided that: “This part [part B (§§31–39), enacting sections 1885 to 1885d of this title, and provisions set out as notes under section 1885 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act’.”
Short Title of 1977 Amendment
Pub. L. 95–99, §1, Aug. 15, 1977, 91 Stat. 831, provided: “That this Act [enacting sections 1869b, 1873a, and 1884 of this title, amending sections 1862, 1863, 1873, and 1882 of this title, and enacting provisions set out as a note under section 1862 of this title] may be cited as the ‘National Science Foundation Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 1978’.”
Short Title of 1976 Amendment
Pub. L. 94–471, §1, Oct. 11, 1976, 90 Stat. 2053, provided: “That this Act [enacting sections 1882 and 1883 of this title, amending section 1863 of this title, and enacting provisions set out as notes under sections 1862, 1864, 1873, and 5820 of this title] may be cited as the ‘National Science Foundation Authorization Act, 1977’.”
Short Title
Section 1 of act May 10, 1950, provided: “That this Act [enacting this chapter] may be cited as the ‘National Science Foundation Act of 1950’.”
Transfer of Functions
Office of Science and Technology, including offices of Director and Deputy Director, provided for by sections 1 and 2 of Reorg. Plan No. 2 of 1962, abolished and all functions vested by law in Office of Science and Technology or Director or Deputy Director of Office of Science and Technology transferred to Director of National Science Foundation by sections 2 and 3(a)(5) of Reorg. Plan No. 1 of 1973, eff. July 1, 1973, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.
Continuation of Existing Offices, Procedures, and Organization
Amendments by Pub. L. 90–407, July 18, 1868, 82 Stat. 360, intended to continue in effect the existing offices, procedures, and organization of the Foundation as provided by this chapter, part II of Reorg. Plan No. 2 of 1962 [set out below], and Reorg. Plan, No. 5 of 1965 [set out in Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees], but on and after July 18, 1968, part II of Reorg. Plan No. 2 of 1962, and Reorg. Plan No. 5 of 1965, as being of no force or affect, and nothing in Pub. L. 90–407 as altering or affecting any transfers of functions made by part I of Reorg. Plan No. 2 of 1962, see section 16 of Pub. L. 90–407, set out as Continuation of Existing Offices, Procedures, and Organization of the National Science Foundation note under section 1862 of this title.
REORGANIZATION PLAN NO. 2 OF 1962
Eff. June 8, 1962, 27 F.R. 5419, 76 Stat. 1253, as amended Pub. L. 88–426, title III, §305(41), Aug. 14, 1964, 78 Stat. 427; Pub. L. 94–282, title V, §502, May 11, 1976, 90 Stat. 472
Prepared by the President and transmitted to the Senate and the House of Representatives in Congress assembled, March 29, 1962, pursuant to the provisions of the Reorganization Act of 1949, 63 Stat. 203, as amended [see 5 U.S.C. 901 et seq.].