AGU Draft Response to NSF request for public input on its Fiscal Year (FY) 2026–2030 NSF Strategic Plan 

 

What opportunities exist that could help enable progress toward NSF’s objectives and strategies? 

 

Invest in a multitude of scientific research through the NSF, fully funding and supporting all sciences and increasing calls for interdisciplinary research. This will mean ensuring sufficient money and staff to allow for increased grant-making of high-quality research.  

 

Set aside funding allocations and efforts for big challenges that will last longer than normal NSF and other agency grants. The new NSF-led National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) pilot, backed by 14 federal agencies and 28 private-sector and nonprofit partners, which has already connected over 400 research teams with advanced computing platforms, datasets, software, and models, could be an example to explore for other areas. 

 

There is a huge community of scientists who are familiar with and invested in NSF’s future success. Utilizing the strengths and capabilities of this network of dedicated individuals, as was done with the NSF Rotator program, would be an opportunity to tap into broad knowledge to accelerate progress on goals.  

 

How might NSF foster partnerships with a wide range of organizations to implement the strategies in its FY 2026-2030 Strategic Plan? 

 

NSF has some critical partnerships established that can be an efficient and effective utilization of partnerships, including:  

• The NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnership (TIP) Directorate, which invests in accelerating breakthrough technologies, transitioning these technologies to market and preparing Americans to serve as the workforce we need for the future through the creation and funding of Regional Innovation Centers. The TIP Directorate’s Regional Innovation Engines, the first ten of which were awarded in early 2024 to teams around the country. These university, industry, government, and community partnerships are helping build strong regional technology support that will help national security and economic competitiveness. The program, which was authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act, needs support to enable it to reach its full potential. 

• NSF also supports communities through many other programs that focus on engaged research, impact, and research translation. Opportunities abound to expand these activities within the NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnership (TIP) Directorate and NSF’s other research directorates. For example, in 2023, NSF held a planning competition for wildfire partnerships and is now poised for a full program that would build resilience and empower communities with new tools and approaches.  

 

In addition, it is important to invest in both community-driven science and citizen science efforts. Community-driven science supports partnerships between scientists and local communities whereby the communities establish the priorities and parameters for the research needed and the scientists determine how to support that with credible research methods.  

 

Citizen science efforts engage members of the general public in collecting and analyzing data to support research initiatives, expanding both the capability of the researchers and enabling individuals to gain hands-on experience and learning in STEM practice. 

 

 

What data or evidence should NSF consider as it develops mechanisms to evaluate progress and measure success in achieving the objectives in its FY 2026-2030 Strategic Plan? 

 

NSF should consider how many of its grants enable new cross-disciplinary areas of research; how many new STEM graduate students are funded to ensure that we have a pool of scientific experts in the future, and how many grants support training programs for technical workers that the U.S. will need to stay competitive into the future.  

 

In the past, the NSF has supported more than a quarter of all graduate trainees in cutting-edge areas of research, the training and professional development of thousands of K-12 STEM teachers, and the education of advanced technical workers at more than 150 community colleges nationwide. NSF has also worked closely with industry and other partners to expand efforts to meet labor market needs by investing in targeted expertise and training programs. 

 

 

Is there any other information that would assist NSF in achieving the goals and objectives under its FY 2026-2030 Strategic Plan? 

 

Federal support for agencies like NASA, NOAA, NSF, and USGS strengthens national security, economic growth, and workforce development by ensuring a steady pipeline of skilled scientists.  

 

Sadly, budget reductions, a refusal to implement funding previously approved, and an arbitrary shift in agency priorities have threatened our leadership in weather forecasting, environmental monitoring, space exploration, disaster preparedness, and much more. This in turn diminishes our innovation leadership, risks lives, and damages our economy.  

 

Moreover, these measures have created chaos and uncertainty in the scientific community. Scientists have not only had to stop work, but in some cases data sets have been irreparably damaged or made unavailable. Students and future researchers are also getting the clear message that science is not a reliable career pathway, which will cede U.S. leadership even further. This message is not lost on our global competitors, who are stepping up to attract the talent that we are abandoning. The public cannot truly benefit from science without access to data-driven, independent research, free from politicization or cherry-picking. The merit-based peer review system must be protected from political interference to ensure that research funding decisions remain grounded in scientific excellence rather than shifting policy priorities.   

 

We are facing enormous workforce shortages in emerging technologies while our competitors are investing major amounts to build their science and technology ecosystems. We will not be able to compete without the researchers, technicians, and other STEM workers of the future and we cannot meet our workforce needs without concerted efforts to reach students from all backgrounds. NSF education research programs are innovating to ensure our K-12 and undergraduate education systems can meet the needs of teachers and learners in a rapidly changing world. STEM EDU and Research and Related Activities funding are both critical and complementary to each other – they should grow together to achieve our innovation and competitiveness priorities. 

 

Open and transparent science is essential for tackling national and global challenges, including extreme weather and natural disaster preparedness. Any actions that limit access to federal scientific data, restrict research topics, or remove publicly funded Earth and space science information hinder informed policymaking and public safety.