Obama's top science official Subra Suresh resigns to join as Carnegie Mellon president

US President Barack Obama's top science official and Padma Shri awardee Dr Subra Suresh has resigned from his current position of Director of the National Science Foundation to join as the president of the prestigious Carnegie Mellon University (CMU).

As Director of National Science Foundation (NSF) since 2010, Suresh was responsible for driving scientific research of the country. With an annual budget of USD 7 billion, the independent federal science agency is charged with advancing all fields of fundamental science and engineering research and related education.

"Subra has shown himself to be a consummate scientist and engineer - beholden to evidence and committed to upholding the highest scientific standards. He has also done his part to make sure the American people benefit from advances in technology, and opened up more opportunities for women, minorities, and other underrepresented groups," Obama said accepting his resignation.

"We have been very fortunate to have Subra Suresh guiding the National Science Foundation for the last two years," said the US President in a statement. "I am grateful for his service," he added.

In a note to his staff, Suresh said that he would step down from his current role at NSF at the end of March to accept an appointment as Carnegie Mellon University's ninth president from July 1.

"It has been my extraordinary honour to lead the National Science Foundation, which is blessed with a marvellous cohort of highly talented and devoted staff, as well as hundreds of thousands of innovative grantees and investigators from every field of science and engineering. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the country in this capacity," Suresh said in his note.

John Holdren, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy thanked Suresh for his outstanding service as Director of the National Science Foundation.

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