NSF director to leave early

Arden L. Bement , the director of the National Science Foundation and last surviving political appointee in science left over from the Bush administration, is resigning five months before his term is up in order to lead Purdue University’s new Global Policy Research Institute in West Lafayette, Indiana. Bement has been on leave from Purdue since joining the Bush administration in 2001, initially as the director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. He starts his new job on 1 June.

Bement was appointed to his six-year term as NSF director by President Bush in November 2004 after serving as acting director for 10 months, when former NSF director Rita Colwell resigned .

Under Bement, NSF has seen its budget increase dramatically, partly due to the near unanimous approval in Congress of the recommendations of the Rise Above the Gathering Storm report, which called for increased investment in science and education.

“With the submission of his 2011 budget, President Obama has underscored again the critical role that the NSF plays in ensuring our Nation’s continuing preeminence in science and technology,” said John P. Holdren, assistant to the president for science and technology and director, Office of Science and Technology Policy. “I want to thank Dr. Bement for his nearly seven years of distinguished service at NSF’s helm and his unwavering commitment to America’s research and education enterprise.”

Paul Guinnessy