NSF plans $280M for biology research, down from $640M in 2023

The National Science Foundation expects $110 million to be available in 2027 for Earth, oceans, and atmospheric/geospatial sciences, a decrease from the $918 million spent in those fields in 2023. This shift in funding, revealed in recently released Notices of Funding Opportunity, has sparked concern among agency staff and scientists who question the agency’s commitment to basic research.

One program manager, requesting anonymity, noted the new Geosciences NOFO, stating, “It seems really odd that NSF would want to put out an announcement that it plans to spend less than 20% of its current appropriation on basic research” in that area. NSF’s biology directorate also faces reduced funding, with a projected $280 million available compared to $640 million in 2023.

Reduced Biology & Geosciences Funding Signals Lower Research Levels

Funding for biological research is undergoing a substantial shift, with the National Science Foundation calling for $280 million for the biology directorate, a marked decrease from the $640 million spent in 2023. This contraction in resources signals a potential re-prioritization within the agency, moving away from established core biology programs and towards areas aligned with current administration objectives. The reduction is particularly striking when considering the directorate’s previous spending levels and raises questions about the future scope of biological investigations supported by NSF grants.

A program manager, requesting anonymity to avoid possible retribution, noted that the new Geosciences Notice of Funding Opportunity expresses concern that this consolidation limits access for researchers and drastically reduces the overall investment in these critical fields. The new NOFO states it expects $110 million to be available in 2027 for those fields, less than 20% of the current appropriation.

NSF maintains that these new Notices of Funding Opportunity are not the sole avenues for securing funding, stating that “[additional] funding opportunities will be posted as they become available.” However, scientists within and outside the agency express skepticism about this claim, fearing these initial NOFOs may represent the extent of support for many core disciplines traditionally funded by NSF for over seven decades.

The agency’s move to utilize a wider range of R&D funding mechanisms to surface unconventional proposals that may not advance through traditional consensus-driven review panels, as explained by NSF’s acting director Brian Stone, is viewed by some as a further departure from established funding practices. The disparity in funding allocations extends beyond biology and geosciences, with the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences also anticipating $730 million next year, and the engineering directorate decreasing from $740 million to $445 million.

This widespread reduction across multiple directorates suggests a systemic shift in NSF’s budgetary priorities, potentially favoring areas like artificial intelligence and quantum information science. The absence of solicitations from the Social, Behavioral, and Economic sciences (SBE) and STEM Education (EDU) directorates has fueled speculation about their future, with one staffer suggesting the administration may not be keen to release any SBE funding opportunities, given the proposed elimination of the SBE directorate in the 2027 budget request. These funding changes have far-reaching implications, potentially reshaping the landscape of scientific research and innovation in the United States.