A decennial look at NSF's research grants program in physics

That a theme or motif can be heard, when a list of Foundation grant titles are read, is due in part to the anniversary character of the year. This is the tenth anniversary of the National Science Foundation's establishment. Over the last ten years the physics grants program in the NSF derived much of its strength from its panels of advisers and proposal reviewers. If one looks carefully at the ensemble of grants made under their guidance one observes a program purpose and program direction that was not always apparent when the grants were handled individually.