Letter to Congress on FY 2026 NSF Funding

Testimony from the American Physiological Society on the FY 2026 budget of the National Science Foundation, prepared for the Senate Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies. 

The American Physiological Society (APS) writes to urge the Subcommittee to reject the proposed debilitating cuts to the National Science Foundation (NSF) that would paralyze the nation’s scientific ecosystem. For 75 years, NSF has been a cornerstone of basic research and STEM training, enabling the U.S. to become a powerhouse of technology and innovation. Gutting the agency as proposed in the President’s budget would cause immeasurable economic damage and stifle the nation’s technological advancement. To enable the NSF to continue its mission and support ongoing activities, APS asks the Subcommittee to fund the NSF at a level of $16.7 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2026, the level authorized in the CHIPS and Science Act.

More than 90% of the NSF’s budget directly supports scientific research and education across all 50 states through highly competitive grants. However, the proposed cuts to NSF would reduce the number of researchers supported on these grants by 73%, from over 330,000 in FY 2024 to only 90,000. The grant application success rate would drop from its current 26% down to just 7%.[1] These cuts would greatly debilitate our research capacity as researchers are forced to abandon ongoing projects or take their talents to other countries. The U.S. would effectively abdicate its position as a world leader in science and technology.

STEM fields in the U.S. are already facing an accelerating talent crisis, which would be exacerbated by cuts to the NSF.[2]  Nearly a quarter of the American workforce participates in a STEM field, with a count in 2024 of over 36 million workers.[3] The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) recently stated that the federal government struggles to recruit and retain top STEM talent.[4] Yet NSF has already begun cutting crucial training programs, such as the Graduate Research Fellowship Program, which this year has cut the number of awards offered to less than half the number for each year since 2010. This highly prestigious award supports promising early-career researchers during a critical period in their training. Slashing NSF training and education programs risks leaving the country without the expertise and subject matter knowledge to tackle the challenges of the future.

APS strongly encourages the Subcommittee to reject these catastrophic cuts and instead to provide a level of support that will allow the NSF to sustain and grow its investments in American science and technological leadership. While China’s investments in R&D are on pace to surpass the U.S., now is not the time to give up on our investments. Funding for NSF bolsters the nation’s economy, drives cutting-edge innovation and science, and trains the next generation of researchers.

Founded in 1887, APS is home to more than 8,300 members and 80,000 authors. These researchers work in universities and hospitals advancing research and patient care, government agencies supporting public health and safety, and private industry developing new treatments. We believe in science—and the researchers working across all 50 states whose innovations lead to discoveries that shape a healthier, brighter future for all Americans.