The National Science Foundation (NSF) commemorated 75 years on May 10. While an extremely turbulent time for NSF, the Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF) – a group of over 130 universities, scientific societies, and industry partners that comes together in support of strong funding for NSF – organized several events to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of the NSF.
CNSF members from 22 states brought NSF-funded researchers to Capitol Hill on May 13 to visit with their delegations, hitting the goal of reaching 75 offices, get it, for the 75th. FABBS was honored to be joined by Dr. Kathryn Humphreys, Vanderbilt University, a FABBS Early Career Impact Award winner nominated by the International Society for Developmental Psychobiology (see FABBS article: Researcher Helps Infants and Toddlers Take Their First Steps on a Path to Lifelong Well-being), to meet with the Tennessee delegation to share insights from her research. Dr. Humphreys uses NSF-funded “TotTag” devices to measure caregiver-child proximity to investigate infants and toddlers in their everyday environments. Her research team discovered that infants whose caregivers initiated more conversation exhibited more advanced receptive and expressive language in toddlerhood. Dr. Humphreys also highlighted the broader impact of NSF funding on Vanderbilt and the Nashville community, emphasizing the valuable training opportunities it creates for students engaged in this critical research.
During these meetings, CNSF requested at least $9.9 billion for NSF in Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26), which would get NSF back to its FY23 total funding. Like other federal science agencies, NSF is facing significant challenges in FY25, including a temporary freeze on new funding actions, a proposed agency reorganization, threats for reductions in force, and grant terminations (see FABBS article: NSF Terminates Grants and Dismantles Advisory Committees ). CNSF members encouraged offices to prevail upon NSF and the administration to spend the appropriated funds for FY25.
That evening, CNSF hosted a well-attended reception in the House Gold Room. CNSF co-chair Erin Heath, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), welcomed guests, including colleagues with the National Science Board (NSB) member Dr. Aaron Dominguez, Provost of Catholic University of America, and Representative Bill Foster (D-IL), as well as key Congressional staff.
On May 14, CNSF hosted a research showcase on the Senate side, featuring 21 interactive examples of NSF-funded research with real-world community impacts. NSB Member Dr. Suresh Babu, University of Maryland, gave a compelling speech underscoring the importance of sustained federal investment in science and innovation. His remarks came at a critical moment of uncertainty for NSF, helping unify the research community and counter narratives that question the agency’s value, efficiency, and impact.
In addition to Dr. Humphreys, interactive examples from CNSF’s showcase included the Maine Algal Research Infrastructure and Accelerator (MARIA) at Bigelow Laboratory to drive algae-based innovation and Maine-FOREST at the University of Maine to strengthen forest sustainability, AI research, and workforce development. NSF also awarded the PARCS-HBCU initiative $3 million to expand semiconductor research and education across seven Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HCBU), advancing equity and innovation in the high-tech workforce.
