The first of this document's three major sections describes the history and rationale behind legislative and executive action that led to the creation of NIE. The second section outlines the tentative status of the four major program planning efforts at NIE. These programs are (1) the visiting scholars program; (2) the basic studies program, which includes funding for both field-initiated and exploratory studies; (3) the research development and utilization program, aimed at strengthening the R&D system and improving the links between research and practice; and (4) the programmatic research and development program, which is divided into the seven general categories of relationships between learning and work; school-based experiments; curriculum development; personnel, organization, and management; post-secondary education; early learning; and minority concerns. The final section describes the current organizational and staffing structure of NIE. A related document is EA 004 880. (JH)