Unprecedented Cuts to the National Science Foundation Endanger Research That Improves Economic Growth, National Security, and Your Life

Strategic Insights -

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is a leading funder of basic research in the United States, supporting projects that have improved economic growth, national security, and daily life for Americans. From the development of touch-screen technology to improved hurricane and tornado forecasts, NSF-funded research has made significant contributions to society. However, the foundation's funding is now at risk, with a proposed 55% cut in the 2026 federal budget that would end federal support for science research across a wide range of disciplines. This would have far-reaching consequences, including the loss of research grants, the termination of projects, and the impact on local economies.

Key Takeaways:

  • The National Science Foundation (NSF) is a leading funder of basic research in the United States, supporting projects that have improved economic growth, national security, and daily life for Americans.
  • The proposed 55% cut in the 2026 federal budget would end federal support for science research across a wide range of disciplines, including projects on earthquakes, floods, landslides, erosion, sea-level rise, and melting glaciers.
  • NSF funding has supported research that is crucial to national defense, including the development of weather equipment on satellites and the study of deep space.
  • The foundation has partnered with agencies across the government, including those dealing with national security and space exploration, and has invested in research that has returned a return on investment of 150% to 300% since 1950.
  • A list of grants terminated by the Trump administration shows that by early May 2025, NSF had stopped funding more than 1,400 existing grants, totaling over a billion dollars of support for research, research training, and education.
  • The loss of NSF funding will have significant consequences for American science,including the loss of research grants, the termination of projects, and the impact on local economies.
  • American scientists are responding to NSF's downsizing in diverse ways, including challenging grant terminations, preparing to leave science or academia, and moving abroad to work in other nations.

Statistics:

  • The National Science Foundation (NSF) has funded some of the earliest weather equipment on satellites, including the Navy Vanguard (SLV-3) satellite, launched in 1958 to monitor cloud cover.
  • The foundation has invested in research that has returned a return on investment of 150% to 300% since 1950, meaning for every dollar U.S. taxpayers invested, they got back between $1.50 and $3.
  • A list of grants terminated by the Trump administration shows that by early May 2025, NSF had stopped funding more than 1,400 existing grants, totaling over a billion dollars of support for research, research training, and education.
  • The proposed 55% cut in the 2026 federal budget would end federal support for science research across a wide range of disciplines, including projects on earthquakes, floods, landslides, erosion, sea-level rise, and melting glaciers.
  • The loss of NSF funding will have significant consequences for American science, including the loss of research grants, the termination of projects, and the impact on local economies.

Sources:

  • The Conversation -- USA -- By Paul Bierman, Professor of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Vermont
  • The Conversation -- USA -- By Paul Bierman, Professor of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Vermont -- Unprecedented cuts to the National Science Foundation endanger research that improves economic growth, national security, and your life -- https://theconversation.com/unprecedented-cuts-to-the-national-science-foundation-endanger-research-that-improves-economic-growth-national-security-and-your-life-256556
  • The National Science Foundation -- NSF -- About NSF -- NSF -- https://www.nsf.gov/about/index.jsp