The National Science Foundation is one of the world’s premier funders of basic science research (i.e. the fundamental discovery-based research that isn’t applied and economically-driven). Founded in 1950, the NSF has funded billions of dollars’ worth of America’s greatest scientific discoveries that has ultimately led to everything from the discovery of gravitational waves, the development of gene-editing tools like CRISPR, Artificial Intelligence technology like ChatGPT, the development of 3D Printing technology and many more innovations1. NSF funds fuel much of American science, funding over 10,000 proposals from universities and other scientific institutions in every state, impacting over 300,000 researchers annually2.
The Trump administration budget request would cut the NSF’s budget from $10 billion (already less than 1% of the gross domestic product) to a meager $3.9 billion – a 60% cut that would devastate basic science research in the US. For some programs, like the Division of Environmental Biology, which funds curiosity-driven research that can lead to everything from the discovery of new species to pandemic prevention, the proposed cut would be nearly 90%3. Few biology-focused departments can be sustained with such a large cut.
A saying often used by federal employees regarding the budget is ‘The President proposes, Congress disposes.’ Congress has the power to continue funding the NSF at levels that ensure the continued success and leadership of American science. The proposed cuts would impact the infrastructure of many, if not most, US research institutes. These cuts would hamper everything from a scientist’s ability to go up for promotion (many tenure decisions are based on the ability of a researcher to secure independent federal funding) to their ability to hire the next generation of scientists, including undergraduates and graduate students.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the National Science Foundation, which has always benefitted from bipartisan support. For the first time the NSF’s survival is threatened by the executive branch. The NSF was thrown into turmoil by the firing (and tenuous rehiring) and forced retirement of many of its employees (including many scientists serving as Program Officers who manage grants and proposals) and the order to cancel nearly 2000 grant contracts the administration deemed ‘radical’4. Congress has the power to correct the Trump administration’s targeted destruction of basic science research and to ensure stability to the infrastructure of American science. If the NSF is not rescued, the long-term consequences will directly impact the lives of hundreds of thousands of American researchers, but will also likely end the global scientific infrastructure advantage the United States has held for decades.
-Prosanta Chakrabarty, former NSF Program Director, Faculty at Louisiana State University
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