Executive Order 12958 prescribes a uniform system for classifying, declassifying, and safeguarding national security information.

(a) Information shall be declassified or downgraded as soon as national security considerations permit. The National Science Foundation shall coordinate their review of classified information with other agencies that have a direct interests in the subject matter. Information that continues to meet the classification requirements prescribed by Section 1.3 despite the passage of time will continue to be protected in accordance with Executive Order 12958.

(b) Foundation documents may be declassified or downgraded by the official who authorized the original classification, if that official is still serving in the same position; the originator's successor; a supervisory official of either; or officials delegated such authority in writing by the Director.

(c) The Director shall conduct internal systematic review programs for classified information originated by the Foundation contained in records determined by the Archivist to be permanently valuable but that have not been accessioned into the National Archives of the United States.

(d) The Archivist of the United States shall, in accordance with procedures and timeframes prescribed in the Information Security Oversight Office's directives implementing Executive Order 12958, systematically review for declassification or downgrading, classified records accessioned into the National Archives of the United States. Such information shall be reviewed by the Archivist for declassification or downgrading in accordance with systematic review guidelines that shall be provided by the head of the agency that originated the information, or in the case of foreign government information, by the Director of Information Security Oversight Office in consultation with interested agency heads.