National Science Foundation's future in limbo as Trump eyes cuts

Source: The Hill

04/19/26 6:00 AM ET


The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) future is in limbo as President Trump pushes for more budget cuts and his nominee to helm the research agency awaits Senate confirmation. Since Trump’s return to the White House, the administration has canceled or suspended nearly 1,400 of the agency’s grants, citing changing policy priorities. A series of internal changes, including layoffs and a shifting funding focus, have also contributed to a reduction in the number of new grants issued by the NSF, which funds a quarter of basic scientific research across the country.

Former NSF directors and organizations representing grant recipients warn that the dismantling of the agency, which serves as a counterpart to the National Institutes of Health, will ultimately curtail American scientific innovation. “I worry about losing that next generation of researchers just because everything’s so uncertain and there’s just a lot of frustration,” Sarah Spreitzer, the assistant vice president and chief of staff of government relations​​ at the American Council on Education, told The Hill.

The NSF’s focus on contributing to “early-stage” or “basic” science, has led to major technological breakthroughs, including the MRI machine, the GPS and artificial intelligence. It’s also funded projects that have advanced the internet, the cellphone, mRNA vaccines and companies like Google. “One never knows if an investment today whose outcome is unknown will lead to a tool everyone can benefit from … or an industry of the future,” said France Córdova, who served as NSF director under both former President Obama and Trump. “That’s why it is so important to invest in basic research.”

Trump’s 2027 budget request, released last week, seeks to cut NSF funding by more than 50 percent. The Office of Management and Budget did not return a request for comment on why the administration wants to reduce funding at the agency, but a spokesperson from the NSF said it “reflects a strategic alignment of resources in a constrained fiscal environment.”

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5835619-future-nsf-research-limbo/