NSF
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | U.S. National Science Foundation |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Government & Politics, Business & Finance |
NSF has two meanings. It stands for U.S. National Science Foundation (US federal agency) or Non-sufficient funds (banking).
Meanings of NSF at a glance
| # | NSF stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | U.S. National Science Foundation | Government & Politics › US Federal Agency |
| 2 | Non-sufficient funds | Business & Finance › Banking |
1. U.S. National Science Foundation
Government & Politics · US Federal Agency Abbreviations
Funds basic research and education across science, mathematics and engineering, supporting roughly a quarter of federally funded basic research at US colleges and universities. It also runs Antarctic research stations and large facilities such as telescopes, under a Director and the National Science Board.
Example: Her lab's work on coral reef recovery is supported by a three-year NSF grant.
Vannevar Bush's 1945 report "Science, the Endless Frontier" led to the National Science Foundation Act of 1950. Its Graduate Research Fellowship Program is among the oldest and best-known fellowships for science students. Biomedical research is funded mainly by the NIH rather than NSF.
2. Non-sufficient funds
Business & Finance · Banking Abbreviations
Status of a bank account that lacks enough money to cover a check, debit or electronic payment presented against it. The bank may return the item unpaid, often charging an NSF fee, or pay it and create an overdraft.
Example: The landlord's bank returned the rent check marked NSF, and both banks charged fees.
Also written "insufficient funds," and a returned check is said to have "bounced." Many large US banks eliminated NSF fees in 2021 and 2022 under pressure from regulators and competitors. Repeated NSF events can lead a bank to close the account and report it to ChexSystems.
Related abbreviations
More US federal agency abbreviations
- NRCS – Natural Resources Conservation Service
- NRO – National Reconnaissance Office
- NSA – National Security Agency
- NSC – National Security Council
- NTIA – National Telecommunications and Information Administration
- NTSB – National Transportation Safety Board
- NWS – National Weather Service
- OCC – Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
See all 152 US federal agency abbreviations →