TERC Competitors

The University of Pittsburgh is a top-ranked, public institution in Pennsylvania and a member of the Association of American Universities of leading research universities. With our discoveries, we are recognized as one of the most innovative universities in the world. We invent the paths of the future and forge ahead. Pitt is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), which comprises 62 preeminent doctorate-granting research institutions in North America.

The U.S. 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 more than $8 billion, NSF 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. NSF awards about 11,000 new awards per year, with an average duration of three years -- to fund specific research proposals that have been judged the most promising by a rigorous and objective merit-review system. In the past few decades, NSF-funded researchers have won more than 200 Nobel Prizes as well as other honors too numerous to list. NSF funds equipment that is needed by scientists and engineers but is often too expensive for any one group or researcher to afford. Another essential element in NSF's mission is support for science and engineering education, from pre-K through graduate school and beyond. There are many exciting careers at NSF, not only in science, technology, education and mathematics (STEM), but also in business and operations. For more information, please visit us at http://nsf.gov/careers/. NSF welcomes opportunities to engage with you on our LinkedIn page. Please see our Comment Policy [http://www.nsf.gov/social/policies.jsp ] for more information.

ACS is a nonprofit membership organization and home to the world’s scientific community, advancing, connecting, and empowering scientists. Founded in 1876, we bring people, ideas, and resources together to fuel discovery, grow careers, and support the determination it takes to move science forward. Through world‑leading publications, conferences, community networks, and education and career resources, ACS helps science — and scientists — make a lasting impact on society.