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NSB Statement

Statement on the passing of former National Science Board member W. Carl Lineberger

Carl in Antarctica, 2012

Carl in Antarctica, 2012 (Credit and Larger Version)

October 27, 2023

We are deeply saddened by the loss of W. Carl Lineberger, our friend and former National Science Board (NSB) colleague, who passed away on October 17th. Carl was a gentle scientific giant. An engineer by training, Carl’s research using lasers at the intersection chemistry and physics broke new ground. During his 52-year career at The University of Colorado Boulder and JILA, Carl was one of the visionaries in the field of chemical physics research.

Carl was also a champion of basic research and of the National Science Foundation. He served as the Chair of Mathematics and Physical Science Advisory Committee in the mid-2000s and on the National Science Board (NSB, Board) from 2010-2022. During Carl’s tenure on the NSB, he chaired the Committee on Strategy and Budget’s Subcommittee on Facilities and the Committee on Awards and Facilities. Carl’s many contributions in both NSB leadership roles strengthened NSF’s and NSB’s approaches to major research facility planning and oversight and contributed to the establishment of NSF’s Mid-scale Research Infrastructure program. Equally committed to the human dimensions of the scientific endeavor, Carl collaborated with his NSB colleagues on two influential reports: Reducing Investigators’ Administrative Workload for Federally Funded Research (2014) and The Skilled Technical Workforce: Crafting America’s Science & Engineering Enterprise (2019).  

As fellow Board members, we greatly valued Carl’s insights, diligence, diplomacy, and collaborative spirit. As his colleagues and friends, we benefited from his generosity, humanity, humor, and humility. While we will miss him dearly, we are confident that Carl’s legacy will live on through his scientific contributions, in the standard he set for NSB collegiality and industriousness, and in the many tangible developments at NSF that can be traced to his influence.

The U.S. National Science Foundation propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. as a global leader in research and innovation. With a fiscal year 2023 budget of $9.5 billion, NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and makes about 11,000 new awards. Those awards include support for cooperative research with industry, Arctic and Antarctic research and operations, and U.S. participation in international scientific efforts.

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