The Bridge: Connecting Science and Policy

August 27, 2026

NCAR, OMB, and the Power of 30,000 Voices

By: Caitlin Bergstrom This year, our community has stepped up to provide critical feedback on several proposed regulations and calls for public comment. It has been a difficult eighteen months for the science community, with rapid divestments in science research causing uncertainty for both individuals conducting research and the vital research our scientists do. Utilizing our online action campaigns and our deep network of grassroots advocates, we have generated more …

Wins, Losses, and Why We Keep Showing Up

By: Lexi Shultz In 2026, AGU’s Science Policy & Government Relations team continued our “Days of Action” initiative to empower our science community to push back against a variety of systemic assaults on the federal science enterprise. This year alone, we’ve seen the U.S. Administration work to shut down critical ocean and atmospheric scientific infrastructure, block congressionally mandated funding from being spent on Earth and space science grants, eliminate government …

August 25, 2026

Growing a Global Bench of Science Advocates

By: Liz Landau I am incredibly proud of AGU’s global science policy expansion during the first half of 2026. Our current global Voices for Science cohort is our largest yet, with 14 folks from Africa, Asia, Europe, and more coming together to learn and grow their science policy and communications skills. AGU is supporting them through initiatives such as the science diplomacy panel we hosted in April, where experts from …

Defending Science, One Voice at a Time

By: Michael Villafranca Protecting NCAR When the Trump Administration announced plans to dismantle NCAR in December, AGU’s SPGR team moved quickly. Within weeks, we had launched grassroots tools that generated 36,000 emails and more than 2,300 phone calls to Congress, coordinated with partner societies behind a joint letter to the White House, and submitted a formal organizational response to NSF—all while providing individual members a direct channel to submit their …

August 17, 2026

Building Science Policy Leaders, One Step at a Time

By: Sophie Mangassarian I’ve spent a lot of time this year thinking about what it really takes for someone to become an advocate—and eventually, a leader. It’s rarely one workshop or one congressional meeting. More often, it’s a series of moments where someone gains confidence, learns a new skill, and realizes their scientific expertise belongs in public policy. In a year when it would have been easy for scientists to …

Rising to the Challenge: AGU Defends Science in 2026

2026 has been just as consequential a year for science policy as 2025. Despite attempts to dismantle infrastructure from NCAR to the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI), circumvent peer review through OMB rulemaking, and broadly politicize science, our community has once again risen to the challenge. Almost 200 AGU members came to Washington, D.C. to meet with their legislators in the first half of the year. Through our online engagement system, …

April 20, 2026

AGU leads letter for FY27 NASA SMD appropriations request

On 17 April, AGU alongside 7 other NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) stakeholders sent a letter urging Congress to appropriate $9 billon in fiscal year 2027 for NASA SMD. On behalf of the undersigned professional societies and organizations representing tens of thousands of scientists, researchers, students, and enthusiasts across all 50 states, we urge Congress to appropriate $9 billion for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) in FY 2027. Read the …

Igniting Discovery: How NASA Funding Advances American Science

NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) has enabled American leadership in the Earth and space sciences for decades. Through NASA SMD, American researchers have revolutionized humanity’s fundamental understanding of the universe, provided data essential to national security and weather forecasting, and spurred commercial development. The pace of global investment in space science is accelerating, and maintaining American leadership in this arena requires sustained commitment to the fundamental research that has always …

April 6, 2026

FY27 President’s Budget Request, Largely A Repeat

On Friday, 3 April, the fiscal year 2027 (FY27) President’s budget request (PBR) was released. Based on the details released, the request is largely a repeat of the president’s FY26 budget, as expected. The Administration has now had a year to appoint its political leaders and review agencies’ actions, so we also expect to see more robust plans to implement their priorities. For example, we expect to receive more details …

February 5, 2026

Science Funding for FY26 Secured

On Tuesday, 3 February, the President signed into law a third appropriations package, resulting in 95% of fiscal year 2026 (FY26) appropriations now complete, including funding for all U.S. federal science agencies. Despite a challenging year for science and U.S. science agencies, the FY26 appropriations legislation is a bright spot, demonstrating the strength and value of the scientific community engaging with policymakers. The funding levels recommended in the president’s budget …