National Science Foundation funding cuts could threaten the economy, science, and safety

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has funded research that have made a huge impact on our daily lives, from touch-screen technology to improved weather forecasts. NSF-funded research has also made our lives safer by reducing earthquake damage and fatalities, and improving hurricane and tornado forecasts. The foundation has also supported research that amazes and entertains, such as drilling through ice sheets and capturing images of deep space. NSF investments have made America and American science great, with at least 268 Nobel laureates receiving NSF grants during their careers. However, the funding is now at risk due to layoffs, leadership resignations, and a massive proposed reorganization that has threatened the integrity and mission of the National Science Foundation. The administration's proposed federal budget for fiscal year 2026 would cut NSF's funding by 55%, an unprecedented reduction that would end federal support for science research across a wide range of disciplines. NSF funding matters to everyone, everywhere, as it supports research and spreads funding for science across all 50 states. The harm caused by NSF budget cuts and grant terminations trickles down and affects communities, causing job losses and economic harm. The future of American science is in doubt, with funding increasingly uncertain and politics driving decisions, and American scientists are responding to NSF's downsizing in diverse ways.