Overview
- The open letters to Congress, released Monday, urge lawmakers to reinstate the fired National Science Board and defend the National Science Foundation’s independence.
- The National Science Board, a congressionally created panel that helps govern the NSF and approves major policies, was dismissed without notice late last month.
- The White House cites a 2021 Supreme Court ruling to justify governance changes and says NSF operations continue, while critics call the move an attack on independent oversight.
- NSF grantmaking has sharply slowed this year, with about 10% of appropriated funds committed by May 1, roughly half the share at this point in prior years, according to Grant Witness.
- The administration has proposed deep NSF cuts for fiscal 2027 and program changes, and scientists say those steps would erode U.S. research capacity and widen China’s lead in R&D investment.